Press Release for Media Briefing of the Shanghai Municipal Government on August 1, 2023

2023.08.01

On
the afternoon of today (August 1), the Information Office of Shanghai
Municipality held the fifth press briefing on the theme of “High-Quality
Development in Shanghai,” which is Huangpu District special session focused on
“New Heights for Functions, New Benchmark for Quality.” Huangpu District Party
Secretary Gao Yun introduced the overall situation of Huangpu District’s
efforts to promote economic and social development. Shen Shanzhou, Deputy Party
Secretary and chief of Huangpu District, Hu Yong, director of the Huangpu
District Development and Reform Commission, Jin Shaojing, director of the
Huangpu District Commerce Commission, and Xu Yanqing, director of the Huangpu
District Administration of Culture and Tourism, attended the press briefing and
answered questions from reporters.

Huangpu
District boasts a thriving economy with a high economic density, exceptional
location advantages, well-established modern industries, and a concentration of
high-end elements, all fostered by a dynamic atmosphere of innovation. In 2022,
the district’s GDP reached 302.305 billion yuan, surpassing the 300 billion yuan
milestone for the first time. This achievement secured the district’s second
place in the city and top position in the central urban area. Additionally, the
economic density reached 14.732 billion yuan per square kilometer, ranking it
first among all districts in the city. The financial sector in Huangpu District
is robust, boasting six national financial factor markets and hosting 721
licensed financial institutions. These institutions collectively contribute to
around 70% of the city’s total financial market transactions. Throughout this
year, Huangpu District has diligently embraced the new development concept,
actively supported the new development pattern, and devoted efforts to bolster
confidence, stimulate demand, foster growth momentum, and enhance the overall
business environment. The ultimate aim is to set a new pinnacle of
functionality and a benchmark for quality in the heart of Shanghai’s central
urban areas.

The first focus is to accelerate the release of innovation vitality,
achieved through deeper reforms and a higher level of opening up. This approach
aims to leverage untapped potential, stimulate motivation, and unleash the
district’s vibrancy. The strategy includes deepening the model innovation of “New
Area + Huangpu District” and unveiling the implementation plan for the
construction of the Huaihai Xintiandi Import Trade Promotion Innovation
Demonstration Zone. Notably, this is the only national import demonstration zone
located in the central urban area. As part of this initiative, the district is
conducting a pilot project on national service industry standardization, which
seeks to integrate domestic and foreign trade. This will cultivate a novel
commodities import pattern. Currently, the demonstration zone boasts 32
high-quality commercial buildings and over 3,500 enterprises. The total import
volume for 2022 reached approximately 46.1 billion yuan, accounting for nearly
47% of Huangpu’s total imports. The plan outlined 20 key tasks. For example,
the total imports are expected to hit 100 billion yuan by 2027, and the import
trade density to reach 70 billion yuan per square kilometer by then. Huangpu
District is leading the charge in the green and low-carbon sector by
establishing the First CPC National Congress Site/Xintiandi near-zero carbon
emission practice area. It has also introduced the city’s first district-level
carbon inclusive platform and was the first local district to participate in
the first Shanghai Carbon Neutrality Expo. The district’s commitment to
reforming state-owned assets and enterprises is evident, with Laofengxiang Co.,
Ltd. being recognized as a benchmark enterprise in the second round of the
national “Double Hundred Actions” reform special evaluation. To foster the
digital industry’s development, the district has released policy opinions aimed
at accelerating its growth. One significant step in this direction is the
establishment of a downtown digital innovation industrial park, which serves as
a high-quality scientific and technological innovation hub. Moreover, Information2
Software Inc., known as “China’s first data replication stock,” successfully
landed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Science and Technology Innovation Board.

The second focus lies in attracting
high-quality enterprises from both near and far. To achieve this, four special
actions have been introduced to enhance the business environment under the
initiative “Huangpu for Business, Benefiting Enterprises Together.” A key
accomplishment is the establishment of a new site for the District Government
Service Center, located under the iconic “most beautiful glass dome” on the
Bund. Additionally, innovative service models like “one-code renewal,”
“one-click response,” “one-table integrated services” and “one network for
mutual transmission” have been explored to streamline administrative processes
and improve efficiency. Furthering collaboration within the Yangtze River
Delta, the district has pushed for the mutual recognition of government
affairs, leading to the opening of 21 high-frequency service items for
interprovincial handling on the cloud. Huangpu District has made attracting
investments a priority “key move” to foster its development potential. This
effort has resulted in the introduction of domestic capital amounting to 21.286
billion yuan in the first half of the year. The actual use of foreign capital
has witnessed a remarkable increase of 95.7% compared to the same period in
2021, reaching 1.28 billion US dollars. Moreover, the district achieved an
impressive district-level general public budget revenue of 15.591 billion yuan,
ranking first in the central urban area. As a testament to its
business-friendly environment, the district has successfully added three new
multinational corporate regional headquarters, bringing the total count to 69.
Furthermore, the number of buildings with annual tax revenue exceeding 100
million yuan each has surpassed 70. Huangpu District is committed to optimizing
the industrial development ecosystem and enhancing comprehensive services to
further benefit enterprises. Notably, high-end platforms like the Conference on
the Bund and the Bund Summit have been carefully developed to attract more
distinguished entities, elite teams, and top-notch professionals to
participate. As these efforts continue, the district’s international influence
in the field of Bund Finance is continuously being elevated.

The third focus centers
on the market consumption’s robust recovery. Leveraging its profound cultural
heritage, numerous landmarks, thriving markets, and high-quality services, the
district is dedicated to enhancing the consumption level and leading the
consumption trend. To achieve this, Huangpu District is expediting the
transformation of its three major business districts, namely Nanjing Road,
Huaihai Road, and Yuyuan Garden. Recently, several exciting additions have been
unveiled, such as the Balian ZX Fun Field and the Sephora Future Concept Store,
attracting consumers with innovative and unique experiences. Additionally, the
Xintiandi Fashion II has undergone an upgrade to cater to evolving consumer
preferences. The district also held the highly successful 4th May 5 Shopping
Festival Huangpu series of activities, further fueling the vibrant market
environment. In the first half of the year, the sales of goods were 489.295
billion yuan, an increase of 10.6% year on year, and the retail sales were
79.931 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 28.1%. In terms of cultural and
entertainment offerings, The Great World of Performing Arts has commenced a new
chapter, initiating the first major cultural and tourism integration project,
Shakespeare in the Park. Moreover, the district hosted the prestigious 2023
Shanghai International Musical Theater Festival and the second Yangtze River
Delta City Theater Festival, contributing to the rich cultural landscape.
Impressively, the first half of the year witnessed 21,943 domestic
performances, attesting to the district’s flourishing arts scene. To capitalize
on the momentum of the 5th anniversary of the naming of The Great World of
Performing Arts, the district aims to enhance the system of “dramas, festivals,
competitions, and awards.” An array of professional festivals and exhibitions
throughout the year will be promoted, with various performing arts spaces
sprouting across the district. Additionally, the district will present premiere
shows with unique highlights, captivating both local residents and visitors.

The fourth focus is to make significant strides in steadily
improving the quality of people’s livelihood. Leveraging the effectiveness of
the “Ten Measures of Baoxing,” the transformation of old housing projects has
been actively promoted. A remarkable milestone was achieved with the
implementation of the first sporadic old house expropriation project on the
north side of Penglai Road. Similarly, the first renovation project of
full-function old houses at Lane 211, Baotun Road showcased exemplary resident
participation and consultation. Notably, this project also stands out in terms
of the time until the signing becomes effective, the speed of signing
contracts, and the pace of relocation, earning it the top position in the city.
Addressing the pressing need for elevators in older buildings, the district has
commendably completed the addition of 232 elevators, boasting an impressive
completion rate of 36.4% and ranking first in the city in this endeavor. Focusing
on the well-being of senior citizens, Huangpu District has made commendable
progress in establishing essential facilities. Five elderly care service
stations were set up right at the doorstep, and 22 “time-honored canteens for
the elderly” were established. Additionally, the city’s first home care bed service
center was launched to provide specialized care. To ensure comprehensive
engagement with the community, a variety of survey and research initiatives were
conducted to ensure full-coverage visits to nearly 160,000 households in the
district. The district further extended the “Three Meetings” system, going
beyond just the community and reaching into buildings, and even expanding to
include cloud-based interactions. The district is actively advancing the
construction of the “10-minute community life circle,” aiming to establish
several iconic service hubs like the Eye of Suzhou Creek Zero-distance Home Service
Complex. These efforts have led to the development of 10,621 square meters of
new green space and 6,610 square meters of three-dimensional greenery, further
enhancing the district’s overall environmental quality. An emblematic
achievement in the realm of public spaces is the successful east-west
connection of the Dongjiadu Riverside Flower Bridge project. This has notably
contributed to the continuous improvement of the overall “one river, one creek”
public space quality in the district.

Over the past five years, Huangpu District has diligently
concentrated its efforts on revitalizing crucial areas, including the old town,
Beijing Road, and Jianguo Road East. As a result, 57 comprehensive old
renovation projects have been successfully implemented, encompassing a vast
expanse of 159 hectares (accounting for 8% of the district’s total land area).
These projects have remarkably benefitted over 78,000 residents, revitalizing
and transforming these areas into valuable spaces that will serve as key
drivers for the district’s new round of development. Moving forward, the
district aims to elevate the potential of these spaces to even greater heights.
Emphasizing high-standard planning and top-tier quality, the “second façade” of
the Bund, Grand Xintiandi, Jinling Road, and other pivotal functional areas
will be meticulously developed. A concerted effort will be made to actively
attract and promote enterprises with high energy levels, sterling reputations,
remarkable efficiency, and substantial driving force to establish their
presence in these areas. This strategic endeavor will not only optimize the
industrial system but also significantly increase the economic density of the
urban areas.

Recently,
the plenary session of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee has conducted a
comprehensive review and approval of the opinions on deepening high-level
reform, opening up, and promoting high-quality development. For Huangpu
District, implementing these crucial Opinions is not only a top priority at
present but also a fundamental key to seize strategic opportunities, accelerate
breakthroughs, foster innovation vitality, and enhance the city’s energy level
and core competitiveness. As a result, it demands urgent attention and action.
Drawing on the functional positioning and developmental context of the urban
area, Huangpu District has formulated meticulous implementation opinions. The
district will steadfastly build a magnetic field that effectively grasps and
gathers resources, with a specific focus on enhancing global resource
allocation functions. This involves serving the national-level financial factor
market to expand financial openness, actively participating in global financial
governance, and establishing a highland for RMB asset pricing, clearing, and
payment. Simultaneously, Huangpu District aims to attract and congregate more
international-oriented financial factor markets, industry organizations, and
benchmarking companies. This will culminate in the creation of two growth poles
dedicated to asset management and financial technology. Furthermore, the
district is actively participating in green financial reform and innovation
pilots, aspiring to develop a green financial core bearing area. To foster a
conducive environment for development, Huangpu District is committed to
attracting international high-end talent by offering more open policies,
flexible mechanisms, and comprehensive supporting services. The district will
also actively facilitate the market-oriented allocation of data resources,
exploring ways to provide facilitation service support for the cross-border
data flow of multinational enterprises. Embracing the ethos of building
platforms and nurturing ecosystems, the district seeks to bolster the source
function of scientific and technological innovation. Huangpu District will
guide and support various innovation entities to actively partake in key
technology research. Additionally, the district will encourage leading domestic
and foreign enterprises to establish R&D centers and technology centers
within its boundaries. Furthermore, the district will work on constructing open
innovation platforms centered on top-tier hospitals while providing robust
financial and policy support for technological innovation. Huangpu District
will deepen the application of artificial intelligence, digital intelligence
scenarios, and green economy, striving to create a leading demonstration
position for technological empowerment. With a keen focus on expanding
advantages and enhancing efficiency, Huangpu District aims to strengthen the
leading function of high-end industries. This includes accelerating the
gathering of licensed financial institutions, cultivating and attracting
leading enterprises and “unicorn” enterprises within the core financial
technology field, elevating the significance of Bund Finance, and promoting the
development of the brand economy and fashion industry. Furthermore, the
district will implement the “Zhilian Huangpu” resource link plan to extend its
global services. Efforts will also be made to enhance the driving force of
scientific and technological innovation empowerment, establish leadership in
health services, and promote cultural services, thereby bolstering the growth
of the three powerful emerging industries. The district will optimize credit
services and credit supervision to create a benchmark for the development of
the credit economy. In line with a vision of smooth circulation and strong
impact, Huangpu District aims to strengthen its function as an opening-up
portal. This involves promoting institutional opening-up in accordance with
international high-standard economic and trade rules. The district will take
the construction of the Huaihai Xintiandi Import Trade Promotion Innovation
Demonstration Zone as a lead to conduct national-level service industry
standardization pilots. The ultimate goal is to create a world-class business
portal. Leveraging the C9 alliance, Huangpu District will foster “four
integrations” in the central urban areas of major cities in the Yangtze River
Delta, covering financial services, professional services, culture-business-travel
integration, and the fashion industry.