Accelerated pace

The integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region is a national strategy now in its sixth year. The ambitious plan aims to build the region into a world-class cluster of cities, said officials and scholars.

By the end of 2023, the region had put 7,100 kilometers of high-speed railway network into operation, an increase of 71 percent compared with 4,150 km in 2018, according to Zhang Zhongwei, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

Gu Jun, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government, said during a news conference on July 25 that the significance of the region's integrated development had become greater after the issue was raised at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which concluded on July 18.

"The latest three-year action plan indicates the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region is entering a new phase of deeper development," Gu said.

"Comprising nine major aspects and 165 key tasks, the plan for the years between 2024 and 2026 has charted a clear road map and outlined tasks to be accomplished in the coming three years," said Gu, who is also director of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

The regional leadership will strive to realize the targets at an accelerated pace, Gu added.

Zhang said implementation of the three-year action plan will combine the solo efforts of each province or city "into a symphony of the region as a whole".

According to Zhang, the previous two three-year action plans had achieved 90 percent of their key tasks, gathered useful experience, and laid a solid foundation for the implementation of the new action plan.

"Integration and high-quality are the key words in implementing the action plan, and provincial entities will combine their three-year targets with annual tasks, come up with specific measures, and encourage local innovation," said Ling Ming, deputy director of the Jiangsu Provincial Development and Reform Commission.

Chen Haitao, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission, said 10 projects for 2024, covering areas such as medical services, elderly care, culture, tourism, government services and food safety, were announced at a high-level forum on the Yangtze River Delta's integrated development held in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, in June.

The projects include adding 660 km of rail and more than 70,000 new public charging piles in the region. More than 200 virtual government service points will also be launched in 41 major cities across the region.

Over 300 elderly care venues for seniors will be developed across the region. An all-in-one card will be made available, enabling the card-holder to visit 3,000 cultural and tourism venues including libraries, museums and scenic spots, as well as fitness complexes.

Measures will also be taken to continue ensuring the safety and quality of food products such as rice, flour, oil, meat, eggs and milk.

The list also covers medical insurance and construction in the countryside. In addition, it grants eligible foreigners a visa-free period of 144 hours, or six days, as long as they are transiting through cities across the Yangtze River Delta region, added Chen.

Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, said: "Focused on the thoughts and expectations of the people, efforts will be made to make cross-provincial government services more convenient, strengthen collaboration on education, medical care, and elderly care across the region, deepen ecological environmental protection through regional collaboration, and promote the integrated development of culture, sports, business and tourism in the region."

"We will work together with Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui to accelerate construction in the Yangtze River Delta of rail, amplify and elevate the effects of the metropolitan cluster, and deepen public service convenience, so as to continuously enhance people's livelihood and happiness."

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