Symposium Talks up Modernization as Pudong Marks Key Milestones

Shanghai's Pudong New Area marked key development milestones this year, including the 35th anniversary of its development and opening-up, and five years as a designated pilot area for China's socialist modernization.

On December 23, officials and policy experts gathered in Pudong for a symposium on theoretical and practical approaches to advancing its modernization agenda.

Zhao Jiaming, head of Shanghai's publicity department, and Li Zheng, Pudong's Party chief, attended the meeting and delivered opening remarks.

Economists and policy advisers, including Wang Yiming, vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges; Wang Xuekun, head of the Ministry of Commerce-affiliated Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation; and Ruan Qing, director of the Shanghai Global Urban Research Institute, offered policy recommendations for Pudong's next phase of development, including planning for China's upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Discussions focused on deepening reform and opening-up. Experts called for targeted institutional changes in areas such as market access, services trade and outbound investment, with the aim of translating policy openness into sustainable growth and greater international competitiveness.

Participants also stressed the importance of strengthening innovation capacity, urging Pudong to build a more open and dynamic innovation ecosystem that supports efficient flows of talent, capital and technology, as well as industrial upgrading and productivity growth.

Other recommendations included positioning Pudong as a global hub for resource allocation, strengthening its role in linking domestic and international markets, and advancing people-centered urban governance through improvements in public services and social management.