Official guideline for 'new cities' released

Shanghai is to accelerate its pace in developing five "new cities" in outlying areas over the coming decade and beyond, as the city seeks new engines to boost its economic and social growth.

By 2025, the five new cities — Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian and Nanhui — will attract 3.6 million permanent residents while the overall gross domestic product volume of the five districts hosting the new cities should reach about 1.1 trillion yuan (US$169.6 billion), according to an official guideline released on Tuesday by the city government. 

In comparison, the city's overall GDP volume stood at 3.87 trillion yuan in 2020, according to statistics bureau data.

By 2035, permanent residents in each of the new cities will further expand to around 1 million, according to the government blueprint.

The city unveiled its plan to build the new cities in January when it released its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).

They will be developed into conveniently accessed livable areas where urban life and industrial development is well integrated, with each leveraging its own strength for future growth.

The five differently positioned cities will sharpen their unique competitive edges, according to the plan, and should ultimately create a radiation effect in driving the integrated development within the city clusters of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Jiading’s new city, with ample auto industry resources, will build a national experimental zone for smart transport and focus more of its future development in new-energy and intelligent and connected vehicles, intelligent sensors, as well as in the health care and medical industries.

Qingpu, which plays a pivotal role in supporting the construction of the Hongqiao International Hub for Opening Up, will see aggressive development of the digital economy and promote ecologically friendly industries including innovation and research and development, exhibitions and trade, tourism and leisure.

In Songjiang, clusters of emerging industries such as intelligent manufacturing and electronic information will be expanded and consolidated while culture and creative tourism will also be developed.

In Fengxian, site of the Oriental Beauty Valley, beauty and health will remain a priority in development which will continue to strengthen its leadership as China's top cosmetics hub.

In Nanhui, now part of the Pudong New Area, development of integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and aerospace industries will be prioritized, according to the plan.