Shanghai Draws Five-year Blueprint to Become Int'l Metropolis

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 17, 2003

Shanghai Draws Five-year Blueprint to Become Int'l Metropolis

Shanghai, China's financial and industrial center, aims at reaching a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of 7,500 US dollars in 2007 and makes the city an international metropolis by updating the industrial makeup, infrastructure and social system.

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Shanghai, China's financial and industrial center, aims at reaching a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of 7,500 US dollars in 2007.

Mayor Chen Liangyu pledged Sunday to make the city an international metropolis by updating the industrial makeup, infrastructure and social system.

Chen reported the government work to the first session of the 12th municipal people's congress held Sunday to draw a blueprint on the economic and social development of Shanghai in the next five years.

The city reported a per capita GDP of 4,909 US dollars in 2002 and the annual growth of GDP reached 10.4 percent in the past five years.

Each urban resident had an annual average disposable income of 13,250 yuan (about 1,602 US dollars) last year while each rural resident had 6,212 yuan (about 750 US dollars).

Chen listed 10 previous sectors in the development of the city, including building up new industries, introducing advanced information technologies, improving the environment and developing the suburbs.

The city plans to build a modern logistics industry while making itself an international financial center. It will place the service sector in the downtown and locate electronics, chemistry, steel and auto manufacturing in the suburbs.

The service sector, including finance, trade, tourism, exhibitions and information industry, has contributed to 51 percent of the city's total GDP.

Shanghai will encourage local enterprises to join hands with foreign counterparts to develop the overseas market, Chen said.

The city has introduced foreign direct investment of 34.29 billion US dollars in the past five years.

Chen also expected the urban population of Shanghai to account for 80 percent of the total in five years.

Shanghai records high economic growth in five years

Shanghai, one of China's eocnomic powerhouses, recorded an average 10.4 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in the past five years, the local legislature was told Sunday.

Mayor Chen Liangyu said the city posted 540.87 billion yuan (65.9 billion US dollars) in GDP in 2002, which translates into a per capita 4,909 US dollars in GDP for local residents.

Reporting to a plenary session of the local legislature, Chen said Shanghai is aiming for economic growth rates about two or three percentage points higher than the national average in the coming five years, with an expected annual per capita GDP of 7,500US dollars in 2007.

The mayor said financial, commercial and trade and real estate sectors have become pillar industries of the city during the past five years.

The convention and exhibition sector, tourism and information services have expanded rapidly in the past five years. The tertiary industry accounted for 51 percent of the city's GDP in 2002, Chen said.

Headway has also been made in expanding the city's micro-electronic, automobile, petrochemical and steel sectors through improved competitiveness, he said.

Shanghai leads in per capita income of farmers

Shanghai ranked the first in terms of the average per capita income of farmers among China's provincial-level administrative regions last year for the 20th year running.

According to the municipal bureau of statistics, the average per capita income in Shanghai's rural areas reached 6,212 yuan (748.43 US dollars) in 2002, an increase of 6.2 percent over the previous year.

While farmers' incomes grew rather slowly in the late 1990s, they re-gained momentum in 2001, according to the bureau.

Analysis shows the urbanization of the suburban areas of Shanghai is progressing rapidly, the land use system is being upgraded, and a social welfare system is being established.

Salaries continue to be the main source of income for rural residents in Shanghai. The average salary was 4,920 yuan (592.77 US dollars) last year, or 79.2 percent of farmers' disposable income, up 2.4 percentage points on a yearly basis.

Meanwhile, over 60,000 jobs were created outside the agricultural sector last year in the city's suburban areas, increasing the farmer's per capita income by about 120 yuan (about14.46 US dollars).

Last year's per capita income from properties rose 30.6 percent on an annual basis in Shanghai's rural areas, with an increment of104 yuan (12.53 US dollars) in per capita income from compensations for land takeover.

Meanwhile, pensions and welfare for every farmer in the city increased by 55.7 percent and 130 percent respectively on average.

In the wake of income growth, Shanghai's farmers spent more per capita on consumption over the past couple years, reaching 5,311 yuan (639.88 US dollars) last year, up 11.7 percent over the previous year.

According to statistics, every 100 households in Shanghai's rural areas now own 120 color TV sets, 83 scooters and motor cycles, 79 refrigerators, 71 washing machines, 63 cell phones, 53 water heaters, 31 VCD/DVD players, 28 microwave ovens, 24 air conditioners and 12 personal computers.

Shanghai to draw up action plan for 2010 World Expo

Shanghai Mayor Chen Liangyu said Sunday the city will draw up its action plan for the 2010 World Expo as soon as possible.

Addressing the local legislature, the mayor said Shanghai will set up a small and efficient preparatory organization to coordinate the formulation and implementation of the plans, describing the coming five years as a key period in preparation.

Shanghai welcomes the involvement of professionals and companies from home and abroad in the preparation process, said the mayor.

Chen called for efforts to make the future World Expo Park a permanent international exchange center by giving full consideration to the utilization of the facilities in the post-World Expo period.

The mayor promised full cooperation with participants from around the world to facilitate the construction of the exposition sites.

Shanghai must keep in mind the aim of staging the most successful world exposition yet in preparing for the event, said the mayor.

Shanghai, the leading industrial and commercial center in China, won the bid to host the 2010 World Expo on Dec. 3, 2002.

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