Pudong's development will continue to forge ahead
The Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Shanghai Committee held today.
Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said the city is committed to further opening up the Pudong New Area at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Shanghai Committee on Monday.
"Pudong will continue to play a major role under new economic circumstances and new industry shifts amid the digital transformation," Gong said.
The construction of five new towns in Pudong's Jiading, Songjiang, Qingpu and Fengxian Districts and the Nanhui region will help prepare Shanghai for industry upgrades and respond to demographic challenges in the city.
“Government agencies will respond to the various needs of businesses and offer tailor-made services," he said. "Pudong's continued opening up and reform remain an important part of China's national strategy, and play a pioneering role in Shanghai's construction of international centers for finance, trade, shipping and scientific innovation."
Gong responded to a dozen proposals made by local political advisers, including the government budget on research and development projects, foreign talent acquisition and coordination with neighboring cities related to financial services for shipping industry and boosting support for new research facilities.
"Data should also play a crucial role, so we want to fully leverage existing data," he said.
Ding Zuyu, a political adviser and chief executive of E-House China, pointed to the importance of soft power to transform research into commercial applications. He proposed directing district level governments to make equity investments in hi-tech startups, and provide one-stop services such as incubation, product development and commercial launches.
Li Junmin, chief of the Hematology Department at Ruijin Hospital, suggested creating third-party clinical research organizations to better leverage the city's clinical resources, which could strengthen Shanghai's strategic position as a biomedical innovation center.
Chen Yongliang, a standing member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference's Shanghai Committee, suggested Pudong should step up collaborations with neighboring provinces and cities in finance, trade and scientific innovation.
