Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, speaks at the conference on the construction of the Hongqiao International Opening-up Hub on March 1. [Photo/WeChat account: Shanghai Fabu]
A conference on the construction of the Hongqiao International Opening-up Hub was held in Shanghai on March 1 to mark the second anniversary of the construction work.
Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, said at the conference that the hub, as an integral part of China's opening-up and a pioneer of the country's technological and industrial innovation, shoulders important responsibilities in boosting regional development.
"It strives to better serve the overall situation of China's modernization, promotes the integrated growth of the Yangtze River Delta region and makes more contributions to the new development pattern," Chen said.
Chen noted that the Hongqiao hub should strengthen cooperation with Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces and build a community of scientific and technological innovation in the Yangtze River Delta to jointly achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology.
"It is also necessary to improve regional opening-up, seize opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, explore the path toward the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade and facilitate enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta to make good use of both domestic and international markets and resources," Chen said.
The Hongqiao hub should amplify the spillover effect of the China International Import Expo and continue to improve the internationalization, professionalism and branding of the exhibition industry. For example, it is building a comprehensive platform that integrates display and promotion, matchmaking, negotiation, financial services and technical exchanges to speed up industrial upgrading and consumption and make the CIIE a core platform for China's dual-circulation economic paradigm.
The area is boosting the headquarters economy, introducing more leading enterprises and supporting them to expand multiple functions such as research and development, sales and trade. It should accelerate digital trade, attract more institutions focusing on international trade and cultivate knowledge-intensive service trade, Chen said.
Chen said the Hongqiao hub will also strengthen urban renewal and infrastructure and create a good living environment with high-quality housing, education and medical services.
