National Development and Reform Commission

October 16, 2008

The Yangze-river Delta Region boasts the strongest comprehensive strength among regions in China, and it holds a strategic position and plays a driving force in the socialist modernization. Since the reform and opening-up, especially after we have promoted the development and opening-up of Pudong Shanghai, the Yangze-river Delta Region has made great achievements in its social-economic development. In this way, it has accumulated rich experience and made important contributions to serving the overall development of the country as well as pulling the development of neighboring regions. Nowadays the international economic environment has undergone significant changes and various reforms are being promoted further. Thus, the State Council has published and delivered the Guiding Opinions on Further Promoting the Reform, Opening-up and Social-Economic Development of the Yangze-River Delta Region (hereinafter referred to as "the Guiding Opinions") with the aim to further pushing forward the cause.

The Guiding Opinions pointed out that, further promoting the reform and opening-up of the Yangze-River Delta Region, including the Shanghai city, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province, will contribute to advancing the regional economic integration, lifting the independent innovation capacity and overall economic quality, strengthening the Delta's pulling and radiating effects on central and western China, promoting the coordinated development among different regions in China, improving the open economy and enhancing China's international competitiveness and risk-resistant capacity. Such move will also help push forward the systematic innovation and build a more dynamic, efficient and open mechanism.

The Guiding Opinions state explicitly that we should uphold the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics in further promoting the reform, opening-up and social-economic development of the Yangze-River Delta Region. Such work should be guided by the Dexiaoping theory and important thoughts of "Three Represents". We should firmly implement the Scientific Development Outlook, further free ourselves from outmoded mindset and improve ourselves with each passing day. We should further deepen the reform and open wider to the outside world. Efforts should be stepped up to carry out strategic economic restructuring, enhance the independent innovation capacity, promote the coordinated development of the urban and rural areas, lift the level of resource conservation and environmental protection, and promote social harmony and moral education. Only in this way can we take the lead in developing the Yangze-river Delta region in a scientific, harmonious and integrated manner, and build the region into one key international portal in the Asia-Pacific region, an important base for advanced manufacturing in the globe, a world-level cluster of cities with strong international competitiveness. As a result, the Delta region will make even greater contribution in the cause of China's modernization and building a well-off society in an overall way.

The Guiding Opinions put forward the following principles in further promoting the reform, opening-up and social-economic development of the Yangze-River Delta Region. Firstly, stick to the scientific development. Step up efforts to improve independent innovation, implement resources conservation and environmental protection, and push forward the transformation of economic growth mode. Secondly, persist in harmonious development. Work hard to ensure and improve people's welfare, enhance the building of the socialist democracy and legitimate framework, and safeguard social justice and fairness. Thirdly, adhere to taking the lead in development. Strengthen the cooperation and coordination with neighboring regions and the middle and upper stream of the Yangze River. Enhance the serving and radiating role so as to pull the central and western regions in their development. Fourthly, stick to the integrated development. We should plan as a whole the infrastructure projects in the Delta region, build a unified and open market system, and facilitate the rational flow and optimized distribution of essential production factors. Fifthly, persist in reform and opening-up. We should further take the lead in carrying out pilot programs in systematic innovation and make breakthroughs in important areas and key links, so as to provide mechanical guarantee for the sound and rapid development.

The Guiding Opinions put forward major objectives for the different stages in the future development of the Yangze-river Delta Region. Such objectives go as follows: In 2012, the industrial structure in the Delta region will be further optimized, with the service industry accounting for a remarkably larger share; innovation capacity will be markedly improved and technology advancement makes greater contribution to the economy; regional division of labor and industrial map out become more rational and the quality and level of opening-up have been distinctly lifted; the energy consumption of per capita regional production should be lowered than the national average and the ecological degeneration trend be checked in key areas; the social security system covers both the urban and rural regions with increased ability to provide public service, and the goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way should be achieved in substance. By 2020, the Delta region should form a new industrial structure featuring the service industry as the mainstay and the three industries developing in a coordinated way, technological innovation approach or reach the world advanced level, which play a markedly leading and supporting role in economic development; the inside-regional development become more coordinated featuring a rational division of labor and each having its advantages; the total volume of major pollutants discharge should be put under effective control, and the energy consumption per capita region production approach and reach the world advance level, so as to create an ecological environment in which human and nature live in harmony; the social security system has been further improved and each civilian enjoys equal basic public service. In a longer term, the Delta region should take the lead in basically realizing modernization.