China's Yangtze River Delta aims to rival global city clusters with new inte...

by YANGSHU Hongji

China's Yangtze River Delta, its most economically advanced region, has unveiled a plan to better connect major cities and boost competitiveness with global hubs such as Tokyo and New York.

Covering Shanghai and parts of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces in eastern China, the Delta is home to more than 230 million people and produces nearly a quarter of national GDP. Nine cities in the Delta each boast GDP above one trillion yuan (about US$140 billion), representing about one-third of China's "trillion-yuan" cities.

The Action Plan for Integrated Metropolitan Development of the Yangtze River Delta , announced at a forum on Oct. 10, sets out 30 measures over three years to upgrade transport, innovation, supply chains and public services. The aim is to turn a patchwork of city networks into a cohesive, globally competitive region.

ZHANG Zhongwei, executive deputy director of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Cooperation Office, said the plan take cues from Paris, Tokyo and New York, which coordinate planning and investment across vast city regions. Paris unifies its jurisdictions through law, Tokyo through routine cooperation, and New York via its innovation hubs. The Delta, by contrast, remains fragmented among key centers such as Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou.

He added that the plan is part of Beijing's effort to build world-class city clusters that fuel innovation as China's growth model evolves from scale to sophistication.

The Shanghai metropolitan area, one of six major metro regions in the Yangtze River Delta, has a combined GDP comparable to France's but per-capita output of about US$30,000 — less than half of Tokyo's and under one-third of New York's.

ZHENG Degao of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design said industrial clusters just 20–60 kilometers apart remain divided by local boundaries. He called for a "multi-hub" model centered on Shanghai's Hongqiao to link cities, industries and talent.

ZHANG Shangwu, president of Tongji Urban Planning and Design Institute, said the key is to close the gap between planning and execution by coordinating city layouts, standards and timelines and ensuring regional goals translate into concrete projects.