The national strategy of the Yangtze River Delta integration involves Shanghai and the provinces of Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu in East China. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

"Further integration will help professionals and entrepreneurs to commute within the region more easily."

An exchange-traded fund of Yangtze River Delta integration was released at the forum. The product was designed by China Universal Asset Management Co and will be traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. It will invest in 180 companies that reflect the industrial advantages of the region, according to China Fund Newspaper.

In addition, a cooperation agreement on building an integrated regional transaction market for oil and gas was signed by Shanghai and Zhejiang government agencies and WZ Group, a Hangzhou-based company offering supply chain integration services.

Comprising Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, the Yangtze River Delta had a population of 220 million and a combined GDP of 21.2 trillion yuan ($3.06 trillion) in 2018. The regional integration plan has been elevated to a national strategy.