At the press briefing themed “Promoting High-quality Development” held today (December 4), Gu Jun, director of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Cooperation Office, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government, and director of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, introduced the progress of the three provinces and one municipality (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Shanghai) in implementing the spirits of the important speech by General Secretary Xi Jinping since the symposium on deepening the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta was held one year ago. Zhang Zhongwei, executive deputy director of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Cooperation Office and deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Ling Ming, deputy director of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Cooperation Office and deputy director of the Jiangsu Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Luo Fanghao, deputy director of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Cooperation Office and deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Zhong Lan, deputy director of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Cooperation Office and deputy director of the Anhui Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and Qu Wei, deputy director of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, attended the press briefing and answered questions from reporters.The integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta is a major national strategy personally planned, deployed, and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping. On November 30, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired a symposium in Shanghai on advancing this strategy, delivering an important speech that set the course for deepened regional integration. Over the past year, the three provinces and one municipality have diligently studied and implemented the strategic vision, rich implications, and profound significance of his address. Centered on the key themes of “integration” and “high quality”, we have aligned efforts with the “Four Coordinations” and “Five Tasks” by launching the third phase of the three-year action plan for the region’s integrated development. Collaborative initiatives included advancing 18 key cooperative projects, accelerating 10 practical integration initiatives, and undertaking targeted actions such as improving logistics quality and efficiency while lowering costs, fostering regional market integration, and enhancing joint ecological protection and management. These efforts aim to drive new breakthroughs in the region’s integrated development. In terms of scale, the combined economic output of the three provinces and one municipality rose from 23.9% of the national total in 2018 to 24.4% in 2023. The region’s growth rate reached 5.4% in the first three quarters of this year, outpacing the national average by 0.6 percentage points. The number of cities with annual GDP exceeding a trillion yuan in the Yangtze River Delta has increased from six in 2018 to nine, accounting for over one-third of the national total. In terms of quality, R&D expenditure intensity in the region increased from 2.81% in 2018 to 3.34% in 2023. In the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, the Shanghai-Suzhou cluster ranked fifth globally, while the Nanjing cluster entered the top 10 for the first time, placing ninth. These achievements underscore the Yangtze River Delta’s resilience and vitality, affirming its role as a “growth pole, momentum source, and experimental field” for China’s economic and innovation-driven development.First, we focused on cultivating and enhancing new quality productive forces, with a strong emphasis on cross-regional coordination in scientific and technological innovation as well as industrial innovation. The abilities to foster original scientific and technological innovation continued to grow stronger. We deepened the collaborative efforts between the Zhangjiang and Hefei comprehensive national science centers, while advancing the Yangtze River Delta Science and Technology Innovation Community’s joint research agenda. The third batch of 41 task lists has been publicly released, and the first 12 Yangtze River Delta innovation consortia have been successfully established. The sharing of scientific and technological resources has also gained momentum. The Yangtze River Delta Science and Technology Resource Sharing Service Platform now hosts 46,441 large scientific instruments. Additionally, the Yangtze River Delta Science and Technology Innovation Voucher program has supported enterprises over 7,000 times in acquiring innovation services, with cumulative funding exceeding 170 million yuan. The integration of scientific and industrial innovation has accelerated. Collaborative efforts are underway to establish a robust new energy vehicle industry chain in the Yangtze River Delta, driving advancements in the Internet of Vehicles and intelligent connected vehicles. Notably, the Yangtze River Delta region now accounts for four out of every 10 new energy vehicles produced nationwide.Second, we focused on institutional support for integrated development, accelerating improvements to institutions and mechanisms that facilitate regional integration. Public service facilitation and sharing was advancing steadily. Over 170 high-frequency government services and applications are now accessible across provinces through unified service platforms. This year, we introduced initiatives such as the “one-stop service” for newborns in the Yangtze River Delta and the program for financial aid to economically disadvantaged students studying across provinces without the need of application. The region also leads in piloting the direct settlement of outpatient expenses for cross-provincial medical treatment. By the end of October, more than 46 million people had benefitted, with patients’ advance payments exceeding 7 billion yuan eliminated. Infrastructure connectivity continued to improve. The Yangtze River Delta “Super Loop” high-speed railway is now operational, with the region’s high-speed railway network spanning over 7,600 kilometers — an 80% increase from 4,150 kilometers in 2018. The 163-kilometer Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway is set to open by year-end, reducing travel time from Shanghai to Huzhou from two hours to just 40 minutes. Additionally, the airport link line between Hongqiao International Airport and Pudong International Airport, spanning 68.6 kilometers, will also begin operation this year, cutting travel time between the two airports to just 40 minutes and significantly enhancing connectivity among the region’s key cities. Energy infrastructure was also advancing rapidly. The Yangtze River Delta has been accelerating the construction of a unified network for new energy vehicle (NEV) charging and swapping infrastructure. Over 120,000 new public charging piles are being built annually, achieving a vehicle-to-pile ratio of 1.55 — well ahead of the target of 1.9 for the year. The Yangtze River Delta Eco-Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone is seeing deepened progress. This year, 18 new institutional innovations were launched, and the Demonstration Zone High-Quality Development Regulations officially came into effect on May 1. This landmark legislation represents China’s first cross-provincial, comprehensive legislative initiative since the revision of the Legislation Law. Key developments included the completion and launch of Huawei R&D Center, and accelerated construction of the Xicen Science and Technology Innovation Center, the Watertown Living Room, and the Shanghai-Suzhou-Jiaxing Intercity Railway.Third, we focused on establishing a dual-circulation strategic hub, actively advancing high-level coordinated opening-up. Accelerating the construction of high-impact opening-up platforms remained a priority. The comprehensive reform pilot in Pudong New Area was progressing swiftly, with the release of the first national cross-border, scenario-based general data lists. The free trade pilot zone enhancement strategy was being implemented in depth, as construction started for the Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone. The 2024-2026 Action Plan for the construction of the Hongqiao International Hub for Opening-up has been issued and put into effect. At the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), total intended transactions reached $80 billion, a 2% increase from the previous event. The Yangtze River Delta “Belt and Road” High-Quality Development Promotion Association has been inaugurated. Advancing regional market integration has also yielded positive progress. Key priorities and measures to promote regional market integration have been issued and implemented. We focused on enhancing logistics quality, efficiency, and cost reduction through over 30 targeted initiatives. Furthermore, the region introduced the first regional food safety information traceability standards in China and has jointly issued 27 sets of regional standards. Fourth, we focused on building a green and beautiful Yangtze River Delta by strengthening the joint protection and governance of the ecological environment. Protecting key ecological spaces and ecosystems remained a shared commitment. The three provinces and one municipality have jointly developed China’s first cross-provincial greenway construction standard, the Regional Greenway Connection Standard, and are advancing the creation of the Yangtze River water system ecological corridor. By 2025, the Yangtze River mainstream ecological corridor in the region is expected to achieve initial connectivity at the provincial level. Pollution prevention and control efforts are delivering notable results. From January to October this year, the region recorded good air quality on 83.3% of days, an 8.2 percentage point increase from the same period in 2018. The average PM2.5 concentration has significantly dropped from 42 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018 to 30 micrograms per cubic meter. To address regional ozone pollution, we have been implementing joint measures and undertaking comprehensive pollution control in the coastal waters of the Yangtze River Estuary and Hangzhou Bay. Key cross-regional water bodies, such as the “One River and Three Lakes” in the integrated demonstration zone, now benefit from a coordinated river and lake chief system. Additionally, a “white list” system for the utilization and disposal of solid and hazardous waste has been established. Promoting green and low-carbon development is gaining momentum. Cross-regional emissions trading pilot programs have been launched in Qingpu (Shanghai), Wujiang (Jiangsu), Jiashan (Zhejiang), and Guangde (Anhui). The national carbon trading market continued to operate smoothly, with cumulative trading volumes exceeding 494 million tons of carbon emission quotas and total transactions surpassing 29.7 billion yuan by the end of October.  Fifth, we focused on building a robust risk prevention and control system, aiming to enhance the region’s capacity for safe development. Advancing coordinated reform and innovation in the financial sector is a key priority. Pilot reforms in science and technology innovation-oriented finance have been being promoted in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei, and Jiaxing. The Yangtze River Delta Collaborative Advantage Industry Fund has invested in 47 sub-funds and 52 direct projects across two phases. These efforts have supported nearly 1,000 underlying projects and fostered 312 national-level specialized and sophisticated small giant enterprises in the region. Strengthening energy mutual assistance capabilities is another critical focus. The completion and operation of the second phases of the Shanghai-Suzhou Natural Gas Interconnection Line and the Shanghai-Zhejiang Natural Gas Interconnection Line have added over 3 billion cubic meters of annual inter-provincial natural gas transmission and distribution capacity. Additionally, the construction of the Yangtze River Delta power market has commenced. Moving forward, we will continue to advance the national strategy of integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta through a project-driven and list-based approach. First, we will focus on implementing the third round of the three-year action plan for the Yangtze River Delta region. By combining overarching strategies with specific initiatives and advancing them systematically, we aim to effectively execute 165 key tasks, driving the high-quality development of regional integration. Second, we will diligently advance 18 key cooperation projects, particularly by enhancing cross-regional coordination in scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation. This will enable the region to deliver more high-level technological solutions and achieve notable progress in fostering new quality productive forces. Third, we will collaboratively develop the blueprint for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta in “15th Five-Year Plan” period. This includes prioritizing the planning of major platforms, flagship projects, and critical institutions to accelerate new breakthroughs in regional integration.The three provinces and one municipality will earnestly study and implement the essence of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech and the directives of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. With a strengthened global perspective and strategic mindset, we will approach our tasks with unwavering perseverance and advance with a spirit of reform and innovation. We aim to achieve new major breakthroughs in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, spearhead Chinese modernization, and fully embody our roles as pioneers, leaders, exemplars, and catalysts for broader progress.