Tourists raft near Yucun village, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Zhejiang province will strengthen cooperation with Shanghai and Jiangsu to promote the eco-friendly and integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, said Che Jun, Party chief of Zhejiang at a meeting in Jiashan county, Jiaxing on March 3.

At the meeting, the provincial development and reform commission announced its development plans and several projects focusing on digital economy, integrated circuits, bio-pharmaceuticals, finance, education and culture were inked.

On Nov 1, 2019, a demonstration zone for the eco-friendly and integrated development of the YRD was launched, and a master plan for the zone's development was published by the National Development and Reform Commission on Nov 19.

Spanning 2,300 square kilometers, the demonstration zone sits in the middle of the delta and consists of Qingpu district in Shanghai, Wujiang district in Suzhou, Jiangsu province and Jiashan county in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province.

Che said at the meeting that the zone is of vital importance for the integration of the YRD, and that Zhejiang should work with Shanghai and Jiangsu to promote the development of the zone by strengthening social reforms, technological innovation and environmental improvement.

To develop the section of the zone in Jiashan county, Che said Zhejiang should focus on three areas.

First, it should formulate a general plan as well as more detailed plans as soon as possible to guide the development of the section.

Second, Zhejiang should leverage the decisive role of the market by attracting investment from home and abroad, and issue supporting polices to improve local business, transportation, education and healthcare.

Third, Zhejiang should strengthen government support at the municipal and provincial levels by strengthening government guidance, cross-regional coordination, policy support and resource input.