4. Xi on Yangtze River Delta development

Chronicle of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s plans for promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 1 – Looking at China’s economic landscape, the Yangtze River Delta region accounts for 4% of the land area, gathers about 17% of the country’s population, and creates nearly a quarter of the country’s economic aggregate. It is the largest economic area. One of the most active, open and innovative regions.

On November 30, General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired a symposium in Shanghai to further promote the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and delivered an important speech, requiring the Yangtze River Delta to “further enhance its innovation capabilities, industrial competitiveness, and development capabilities, and take the lead in forming a higher level of reform and opening up.” New pattern”.

On November 5, 2018, at the opening ceremony of the first China International Import Expo held in Shanghai, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly announced: “Support the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region and elevate it to a national strategy”, giving the Yangtze River Delta a major historical mission and serving as a strategic foundation for the Yangtze River Delta. The development of triangular integration has injected strong momentum.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has given a series of important speeches and important instructions on the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, clearly pointing out the major missions, key tasks, methods and paths, and fundamental guarantees for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. Cultural development points out the way forward and provides fundamental guidance.

Keeping in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s instructions, the Yangtze River Delta region closely adheres to the strategic positioning of “a strong and active growth pole for national development, a model area for high-quality development, a leading area that takes the lead in basically realizing modernization, a demonstration area for regional integrated development, and a new highland for reform and opening up.” Grasp the primary task of high-quality development and strive to write a new chapter in the Yangtze River Delta of Chinese-style modernization.

“We must have a deep understanding of the status and role of the Yangtze River Delta region in the country’s economic and social development.”

On November 8, with a departure order, a train loaded with power transmission and distribution equipment, engineering machinery, optical instruments and other goods slowly drove out from Shanghai Railway Minhang Station. The train will go south along the Shanghai-Kunming Railway, exit from Mohan Port in Yunnan, and head to Vientiane, Laos along the China-Laos Railway.

During the Sixth China International Import Expo, the 2023 Yangtze River Delta G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor High-Quality Development Elements Docking Conference was held in Shanghai. Nearly a thousand participants witnessed the launch of the “China-Laos Train-G60” international freight train from the video ceremony.

The G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor in the Yangtze River Delta, which originated in Songjiang District, Shanghai, not only continues to extend and expand in geographical space, but also improves the quality and capacity of the innovation ecology and collaboration network. In the past five years, the number of high-tech enterprises in the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor has increased from 1/12 to 1/8 in the country, and the added value of strategic emerging industries has increased from 11.5% to 15% of GDP...

The Yangtze River Delta, a hotspot for development in eastern China with an area of ​​about 358,000 square kilometers, plays an important role in the country’s overall modernization drive and all-round opening up.

During his work in Zhejiang and Shanghai, Comrade Xi Jinping thought deeply about and actively promoted the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. Entering the new era, what kind of mission should this region bear in the overall development of the country? General Secretary Xi Jinping has carefully planned from the perspective of the overall situation and pressed the “fast forward button” for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

In May 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during his inspection in Shanghai that “continue to improve the cooperation and coordination mechanism in the Yangtze River Delta region” and “strive to promote the first and integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region.”

On November 5, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the first China International Import Expo, announcing that “we will support the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region and elevate it to a national strategy, strive to implement new development concepts, build a modern economic system, and promote deepening reform from a higher starting point and opening up to the outside world at a higher level will complement each other with the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to improve the spatial layout of China’s reform and opening up.” A new chapter in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has opened.

During a subsequent inspection in Shanghai, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward clear requirements for the development of Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta: “We must further play a leading role in promoting higher-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and complete the article on the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.” , making it a strong and active growth pole for China’s development.”

Start with the layout and make the move.

Over the past five years, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited the Yangtze River Delta region many times, hosted a series of relevant meetings, and provided guidance at the critical stage of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

Make a decision and then act. Formulating the “Outline of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Integrated Development Plan” is a task of strategic significance.

On May 13, 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to review this planning outline. The meeting pointed out that the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has a great regional driving and demonstration effect. It must closely adhere to the two keys of “integration” and “high quality” to drive the development of the entire Yangtze River Economic Belt and East China and form a high-quality development region. cluster.

On November 3 of the same year, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during an inspection in Shanghai that the three provinces and one city in the Yangtze River Delta should enhance the awareness of the overall situation and the concept of the overall situation, implement the “Outline of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Integrated Development Plan”, and focus on key areas, key regions, For major projects and major platforms, we must do a good job in integrated development.

On August 20, 2020, a symposium chaired by General Secretary Xi Jinping with the theme of solidly promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta was held in Hefei, Anhui.

This is the first time that General Secretary Xi Jinping has held a symposium on this major strategy to make important arrangements since the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta was elevated to a national strategy. The General Secretary spoke highly of the progress made since the implementation of the Yangtze River Delta integrated development strategy, and clearly pointed out that “in the face of severe and complex situations, to better promote the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, we must have a deep understanding of the Yangtze River Delta region’s position in the country’s economic and social development. and function.”

At this meeting, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important conclusion: “In general, a new situation in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta is taking shape.”

With sincere entrustment and deep expectation, at every important stage and key link, General Secretary Xi Jinping personally takes the lead and promotes the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta in depth.

——Clench your fingers into a fist and use your respective strengths to form a combined force.

How can the three provinces and one city in the Yangtze River Delta integrate their own development into the overall coordinated development, achieve coordinated development, organic integration, and form an overall synergy?

“Allowing the smooth flow of factors in a wider range will help give full play to the comparative advantages of each region, achieve a more reasonable division of labor, gather stronger synergy, and promote high-quality development.” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out the direction.

Through new energy vehicles, we can observe the logic of the Yangtze River Delta’s spread out development and gathering momentum to become stronger.

Shanghai locally provides “brains” composed of chips, software, etc.; Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, about 200 kilometers to the west, provides power batteries; Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, more than 200 kilometers to the south, provides integrated die-casting machines...

In the Yangtze River Delta, through the coordinated development of industrial clusters, a new energy vehicle manufacturer can supply the required supporting parts within a 4-hour drive, forming a “4-hour industrial circle” that embodies the characteristics of a modern industrial system.

——Key breakthroughs have been made, and the integration process continues to accelerate.

On September 28 this year, the second intercity high-speed railway from Nanjing to Shanghai, the Shanghai-Nanjing Yangtze River High-speed Railway, was officially put into operation. This high-speed railway connects seven top 100 counties (cities and districts), Jurong, Jintan, Wujin, Jiangyin, Zhangjiagang, Changshu and Taicang, bringing new momentum and imagination to regional development.

The high-speed railway mileage exceeds 6,600 kilometers, and all prefecture-level cities in the land area are accessible by high-speed trains; the highway network is 16,700 kilometers; a total of more than 500,000 5G base stations have been built; the public service co-construction and sharing mechanism continues to improve... Time, space and psychological distance are getting closer and closer The closer we get, the development opportunities are like endless streams of water.

——Exerting practical results and continuously improving the cooperation mechanism.

Unveiling! At the end of July this year, the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone ushered in the establishment of the country’s first cross-provincial high-tech industrial development zone. The Demonstration Zone High-tech Zone covers an area of ​​19.54 square kilometers and will focus on the development of three strategic emerging industries: digital industry, intelligent manufacturing, and green new materials, as well as two characteristic industries: headquarters economy and green science and technology innovation services.

“The state’s support for the demonstration zone ‘without breaking administrative affiliations and breaking administrative boundaries’ has become the most distinctive advantage of the demonstration zone in creating a cross-provincial high-tech zone.” Minister of Business and Industrial Development of the Executive Committee of the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone Zhu Zhengwei said that the demonstration zone high-tech zone will integrate cross-regional scientific and technological innovation resources and build a regional integrated modern industrial system.

Thanks to the in-depth advancement of integration, the Yangtze River Delta economy has shown strong vitality and resilience.

In the first three quarters of this year, the total GDP of the Yangtze River Delta exceeded 22.1 trillion yuan, accounting for an increase in the country’s total GDP compared with the same period in 2022. The economic growth rates of the three provinces and one city all exceeded the national average.

“Closely focus on the two keywords of integration and high quality to focus on key tasks.”

“Closely focus on the two keywords of integration and high quality, focus on key tasks, work hard, and work hard to promote the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta to achieve continuous results.”

In August 2020, when General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired a symposium on solidly promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta in Hefei, Anhui, he pointed out that breakthroughs should be made around key areas and regions to accelerate the integration process from point to point.

The buildings are colorful and surrounded by green water. In Jinze Town, Qingpu District, in the western suburbs of Shanghai, more than 100 buildings in Huawei’s Qingpu R&D Center have all been capped and are currently being fully renovated.

Huawei Qingpu R&D Center is a key project in the Yangtze River Delta ecological green integrated development demonstration zone spanning Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It combines modern workplaces with green ecology to create Huawei’s global innovation base.

“In the construction of the demonstration zone, ecological green is the base color, innovative economy is the bright color, and integrated system innovation is the fine color.” Zhang Zhongwei, deputy director of the Executive Committee of the Yangtze River Delta Integration Demonstration Zone, said that as the pioneer of the national strategy for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta Chess and breakthrough, since the demonstration zone was established, a total of 136 practical and effective institutional innovation results have been formed, 38 of which have been replicated and promoted nationwide.

Take a peek at one spot and you will know the whole leopard, and you will see the whole situation from a corner. Bearing in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s instructions, we will expand our horizons from the demonstration area to the entire Yangtze River Delta region and pursue higher-quality integrated development.

——Promote the mutual promotion and joint development of regional market integration and wider opening-up, and actively explore paths to form a new development pattern.

“The Yangtze River Delta region should give full play to its many advantages such as rich talent, high level of science and technology, developed manufacturing industry, relatively complete industrial and supply chains, and large market potential, and actively explore ways to form a new development pattern.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has built a new development pattern for the Yangtze River Delta. The development pattern points out the direction.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the construction of our country’s free trade zones. The Yangtze River Delta region, including Shanghai, is one of the earliest and most concentrated areas where free trade zones were launched nationwide. The Shanghai Free Trade Zone is the first to build a “single window” for international trade in Shanghai, supporting data processing for more than a quarter of the country’s goods trade volume; Jiangsu’s biopharmaceutical industry output value will reach 500 billion yuan in 2022, ranking among the top in the country, of which the Free Trade Zone will contribute half ; Zhejiang Free Trade Zone, which does not produce “a drop of oil”, relies on institutional innovation to build a full oil and gas industry chain; Anhui Free Trade Zone explores reform measures such as “one industry, one certificate, one code” for business establishment, and the time limit for processing “one license” approval matters The average compression is more than 85%...

——Intensify efforts in scientific and technological research and bravely serve as a pioneer in my country’s scientific and technological and industrial innovation.

“The initiative in innovation and development must be firmly in one’s own hands”;

“We must support the innovative development of a group of small, medium and micro technology-based enterprises”;

“We must further lay a solid foundation for innovation, accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, accelerate the cultivation of emerging industries, and persevere and work hard for a long time.”…

Regarding the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, General Secretary Xi Jinping has always emphasized the need to firmly grasp the important engine of “innovation”.

In the middle of this year, the “Zuchongzhihao” quantum computing cloud platform was officially launched in Hefei, Anhui and is open to the world. It has become the first cloud platform in the world with the potential to achieve quantum superiority on the superconducting quantum route.

The developer of “Zuchongzhihao” is the Hefei National Research Center for Microscale Physical Sciences at the University of Science and Technology of China. In recent years, scientific researchers here have cooperated with dozens of scientific research institutions in the Yangtze River Delta, such as the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Jiangnan Institute of Computing Technology, and have continued to tackle quantum technology by displaying their respective strengths.

“Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region must not only provide high-quality products, but also provide high-level scientific and technological supplies to support high-quality development across the country.” The request put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping inspired scientific researchers in the Yangtze River Delta to move forward bravely on the road to exploring the unknown world. OK.

——From institutional innovation to legal protection, improve the market-oriented, legal and international business environment, and accelerate the creation of a new highland for reform and opening up.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that “it is necessary to improve the business environment in line with world-class standards and attract talents and enterprises at home and abroad to settle down with an open, service-oriented, innovative and efficient development environment.”

On June 15, the contract was signed; on August 15, construction started; on November 15, the equipment was installed; on December 28, it is expected to be put into production. In the Haimen Economic and Technological Development Zone, standing in front of the main factory building that has been basically completed, Shen Bing, the person in charge of the Nantong project of Shanghai Electric Group, listed several key points in time for investing in and building a factory there.

A good business environment attracts talents and projects, and promotes high-quality regional economic development.

At present, the Yangtze River Delta region has achieved the “four unifications” of market access registration standards, service specifications, information sharing, and innovation pace. The identity of business entities is “one-time verification and universal across the entire network” and electronic business licenses can be shared and reused; enterprises The start-up time limit has been accelerated to an average of 0.85 days, reaching the level of OECD countries; the total number of business entities has increased to 35.36 million, with an average annual growth rate of 8%.

——Seek more benefits for people’s livelihood, solve more problems for people’s livelihood, and make up for the shortcomings of people’s livelihood in integrated development.

Meeting the people’s yearning for a better life is the original intention of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and the mission to create the future.

“Promote the convenient sharing of basic public services” and “take the lead in realizing ‘same-city treatment’ in terms of transportation, tourism, cultural experiences, etc.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s requirements for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta are full of people’s livelihood sentiments.

I go out at eight o’clock every day, arrive at Kunshan Huaqiao Station of Shanghai Metro Line 11 at 8:15, take 6 subway stops to Shanghai Circuit Station, and then take the bus for 10 minutes. Before nine o’clock, Zhang Huanhuan showed up at the office in Jiading, Shanghai on time.

Zhang Huanhuan is a native of Huzhou, Zhejiang. He currently lives in Huaqiao Town, Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province and works in Jiading District, Shanghai. He is a standard “Yangtze River Delta native”. As the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has become a national strategy, Suzhou Rail Transit Line 11, which started in Suzhou Industrial Park, “joined” with Shanghai Metro Line 11 in Huaqiao and opened for operation in June this year. The time and space distance in the Yangtze River Delta is getting closer and closer.

In the past five years, three provinces and one city have taken the lead in exploring the direct settlement of outpatient medical expenses across provinces and in different places; the “one-code pass” for rail transit has enabled easy access by scanning QR codes in 10 cities in the Yangtze River Delta; 140 government services are available in 41 cities across provinces and cities , 37 types of high-frequency electronic licenses such as ID cards, driver’s licenses, and driving licenses have been shared and recognized...

One map for planning, one network for transportation, one chapter for approval, one card for people’s livelihood, one family for residents... The Yangtze River Delta is changing from “you are you, I am me” to “you are me, and I am you”. Now Accelerate towards “you are me, I am you”.

Create a “strong and active growth pole for national development”

At the end of November, despite the sudden drop in temperature, the Chuanshan Port area of ​​Zhoushan Port in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province was still a busy scene: there were many bridge cranes along the pier, trucks were shuttled in the port area, and ocean-going ships that had completed loading and unloading operations set sail one after another. A sea-rail intermodal train loaded with cargo leaves the port area.

In the first three quarters of this year, as the world’s largest port in terms of cargo throughput, Ningbo Zhoushan Port completed a cumulative cargo throughput of 1.015 billion tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.85%, providing strong support for stabilizing the industrial chain supply chain and serving the new development pattern.

On March 29, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping drove to the No. 2 container berth of Chuanshan Port Area and inspected the on-site container operation scene at the terminal in the rain to understand the operation of the port.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that Ningbo Zhoushan Port plays an important role in national strategies such as the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and is a “hard core” force.

Facing the busy main waterway of the Pacific Ocean, the Yangtze River Delta now has Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port as the core, with 16 ports including Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Suzhou as the backbone. The overall pattern of port groups with joint development of other ports has basically taken shape. In 2022, the Yangtze River Delta Port Container The throughput accounts for about 38% of the country’s total.

“Place the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta in the overall national regional development strategy for overall planning, and closely link the country’s strong and active growth pole, high-quality development model area, first to basically realize modernization leading area, regional integrated development demonstration area, Strategic positioning of a new highland for reform and opening up.” General Secretary Xi Jinping hit the nail on the head.

In-depth research, deep thinking, and long-term planning.

“Take the lead in forming a new development pattern”, “bravely be the pioneer of China’s science and technology and industrial innovation” and “accelerate the creation of a new highland for reform and opening up” - in August 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping made clear at the symposium on solidly promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta Require.

In June 2021, the “Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Supporting Zhejiang’s High-Quality Development and Building a Demonstration Zone for Common Prosperity” was released; in July of the same year, the “Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Supporting the High-level Reform and Opening Up of Pudong New Area to Create a Leading Area for Socialist Modernization” “Issued... The Party Central Committee made overall arrangements and assigned the Yangtze River Delta a heavier task and a higher mission.

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “The integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta cannot be achieved in a day. We must have historical patience and a sense of urgency to seize the day and plan for the long term while working in the present.”

Facing the future, the strategic position of the Yangtze River Delta in the overall development of the country will become more prominent, and the task of breaking through will become more arduous. How to further promote the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and move towards a better future? This is a question of development and of the times.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The three provinces, one city and relevant departments must follow the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, have the courage to take responsibility, take the initiative and make bold breakthroughs.”

Carrying ardent expectations and shouldering a major mission, the three provinces and one city have kept their instructions in mind and forged ahead.

Go deep into key areas and regions to make breakthroughs——

In 2016, on the third anniversary of the operation of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions: “Boldly try, boldly break out, and make independent changes, and strive to obtain more replicable and popularized institutional innovation results to further demonstrate the comprehensive deepening of reform and wider opening up. The role of a test field.”

The high-standard construction of the Lingang New Area of ​​the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone is an important step in promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to continue to do a good job in the construction of the Lingang New Area of ​​the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and give full play to the role of the experimental field.

To promote high-quality economic development in the Yangtze River Delta region, key areas and industries are important traction.

In August 2020, at the symposium on solidly promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly stated: “We must give full play to the advantages of the digital economy, accelerate the digitalization and intelligent transformation of industries, and improve the stability and competitiveness of the industrial and supply chains.”

In September this year, the Yangtze River Delta (Wuhu) Intelligent Computing Center was inaugurated and put into operation in Wuhu City, Anhui Province. It plans to build 3000P (1P is approximately equal to 1000 trillion calculations per second) intelligent computing power. It will deepen the integration of computing power and industry. The application of artificial intelligence promotes digital industrialization and industrial digitization, and supports the development of the digital economy in the Yangtze River Delta region.

“Join hands to build a science and technology innovation community in the Yangtze River Delta”, “Strive to build a world-class industrial cluster for new energy vehicles and intelligent connected vehicles”, “Promote the coordinated development of the three provinces and one city free trade pilot zone”... In June this year, the main leaders of the Yangtze River Delta region in 2023 The symposium was held in Hefei. The meeting proposed that the three provinces and one city will deepen collaborative cooperation in more key areas and key regions and promote the implementation of more major platforms and major projects to achieve results.

Improving policy coordination and gathering stronger synergy——

How can the Yangtze River Delta region improve policy coordination?

General Secretary Xi Jinping made a clear request: “Break administrative barriers and improve policy coordination with integrated ideas and measures.”

In September 2022, at the Yangtze River Delta Market Supervision Joint Meeting held in Shanghai, the four places in the Yangtze River Delta comprehensively benchmarked to create a world-class business environment and jointly signed the “Cooperation Agreement on the Integrated Construction of the Market Access System in the Yangtze River Delta Region.”

This means that the Yangtze River Delta region will take the lead in completing the “four unifications” in the field of market access, namely unified registration standards, unified service specifications, unified information sharing, and unified innovation pace, and the construction of a unified market in the Yangtze River Delta has taken substantial steps.

The “Yangtze River Delta Regional Collaborative Innovation Index 2022” report shows that the Yangtze River Delta Regional Collaborative Innovation Index in 2022 has increased nearly 1.5 times compared with 2011, with an average annual growth rate of 9.47%.

Facing the future, the vibrant Yangtze River Delta is drawing a beautiful picture of high-quality development.

——The direction of development is clearer: by 2025, “the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has made substantial progress” and “the system and mechanism for integrated development have been comprehensively established”; by 2035, “the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has reached a higher level” and “become The most influential and driving force of strong and active growth pole.”

——The development prospects are more promising: by 2025, the urbanization rate of the permanent population will reach 70%; the 5G network coverage will reach 80%; the average years of education of the working-age population will reach 11.5 years, and the average life expectancy will reach 79 years; scientific and technological progress will contribute The rate reaches 65%...

The great river flows eastward into the sea. The Yangtze River Delta, which adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and stands at the forefront, is writing a new chapter of high-quality development on its new journey. (Reporters Qi Zhongxi, He Xinrong, Fan Xi, Hu Lu, Zou Duowei)