The main frame of the city of
Shanghai will be built into "four international centres" by 2010, thus increasing the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita to US$7,500 by 2007.
Set by the State Council,
Shanghai is to construct itself into the centre of international economy, finance, trade and shipping, which is the guideline of Shanghai's development.
Vice-Mayor and Deputy Party Secretary Han Zheng urged the municipal construction & management commission in a meeting held recently to realize the target of building
Shanghai into "four international centres."
"The key to realizing the dreams of
Shanghai is to make clear and implement sustainable and specific targets," Han said.
The commission will be working out detailed plans to ensure the transfer and infrastructure construction run smoothly.
In the first half of the year, the city utilized 91.4 billion yuan (US$11.07 billion) of investment in fixed assets and achieved a GDP growth rate of 10 per cent.
Key infrastructure construction and real estate development have consumed 55.6 billion yuan (US$6.73 billion) of investment, according to Zhang Huimin, director of the commission.
The infrastruction of the city has maintained a momentum and 23 key projects will be completed and nine news projects will begin at the end of the year.
"The trend must keep going to ensure the realization of Shanghai's grand scheme to gain a solid worldly position," Han said.
Han pointed out 10 major aspects that the commission has to focus on over the next five years.
The seaport tops the list. As required, by 2005, the capacity of the
Shanghai port shall handle at least 10 million twenty-feet equivalent units (TEUs); by 2007, the figure is to be 12-13 million TEUs.
The
Shanghai port must be strong enough to take part in international competition. By 2007, the Waigaoqiao area shall have prepared 12 berths and the soon-to-be-started Yangshan Deepwater Port has 10 berths.
In the first half of 2002,
Shanghai port handled 3.84 million TEUs, achieving 31 per cent of growth on a yearly basis.
The second runway and the second terminal building of Pudong International Airport shall be completed by 2007, establishing
Shanghai into a hub airport in the Asia-Pacific region.
"The present situation of the airport is too far away from that target," Han said.
The city also plans to ease traffic congestion with the building of a more efficient bus transport system along with a 780 kilometre stretch of railway and subway systems. By 2010,
Shanghai will invest 100 billion yuan (US$12.1 billion) in this field.
Besides the improvement of the transport network, the renovation of the Huangpu River shall see significant progress by 2007 when the 7-square-kilometre key riverfront areas are in good shape.
The revamping of downtown areas and environmental protection projects are all topics that the commission aims to improve.
"This year 100,000 people will be relocated," Han said. "How to enable the residents to benefit concretely from our work matches well with the realization of our ambition."
