Shanghai forum discusses Yangtze River Delta integration

Chen Zhengbao / Ti Gong

Chen Zhengbao / Ti Gong

A seminar to discuss how to promote Yangtze River Delta integration was held in Shanghai on Saturday.

“Yangtze River Delta integration: theory and solution” was the theme of the spring-summer seminar of the “Chinese City 100-People Forum” which brought together officials and experts in engineering and social sciences.

They included Shanghai Party Secretary Li Qiang and Xu Kuangdi, honorary chairman of the governing board of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Li said that since last year Shanghai had earnestly implemented President Xi Jinping’s requirement for higher-quality integrated development in the region.

Thanks to strong support from the central government and related authorities, Shanghai joined with Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces to draft and carry out a three-year action plan, launching some key projects and scoring some important achievements, he said.

At the opening ceremony of the first China International Import Expo, Xi announced support for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region and said it would be made a national strategy.

“We have to do the best to implement the national strategy of Yangtze River Delta integration,” Li said. “Under the joint efforts of three provinces and one city, the Yangtze River Delta will grow to a demonstration area where new development concepts are carried out, the Asia-Pacific portal where global resources are there for allocation, and a world-class globally-competitive city cluster.”

He added: “We should explore system innovation about regional integration and pioneer high-quality development. We should improve the implementation of deepening overall reform and strive to build a new highland for reform and opening-up, for ecological values, for an innovative economy and for quality residences.”