This year marks the conclusion of the “14th Five-Year Plan”. A series of themed press conferences showcasing the vivid practices and fruitful achievements of high-quality development in all 16 districts has been launched. The first conference in this series was held this morning, focusing on the theme of “Building an Open, Innovative, and High-Quality卓越 Pudong”. The construction and development achievements of Pudong New Area during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period were introduced. Officials jointly attended the press conference and answered questions from reporters.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Pudong’s development and opening-up, the 5th anniversary of an important speech, and the conclusion of the “14th Five-Year Plan” period. Pudong’s development and opening-up is a cross-century national strategy. With strong leadership and support from all sides, Pudong has adhered to pioneering and experimentation, serving as a vanguard of reform, opening-up, and innovation. It has transformed from farmland into a modern new city with concentrated functions, complete elements, and advanced facilities. In 2024, the regional GDP reached 1.78 trillion yuan, with a per capita GDP of 43,100 US dollars. Accounting for only 1/8000 of the nation’s land area, it created 1/76 of the national GDP and 1/17 of the total goods import and export volume, providing the most vivid practical illustration of the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. On November 12, 2020, an important speech was delivered at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Pudong’s development and opening-up, entrusting Pudong with the new major mission of building a leading area for socialist modernization. Pudong New Area has kept this mission in mind and forged ahead with gratitude, using the construction of the leading area to guide all aspects of economic and social development during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period. It has coordinated the promotion of high-quality development, high-level reform and opening-up, high-quality living, and high-efficiency governance, accelerating the transformation of the grand blueprint into a reality.

This year, facing a complex and changing domestic and international environment, efforts have persisted with a focus on hard work and striving for progress. The economy has been boosted, reforms advanced, construction undertaken, and people’s livelihoods improved, resulting in steady progress in all aspects of economic and social development. In the first half of the year, regional GDP grew by 5.8%, the total output value of industries above designated size increased by 10.5%, operating revenue of service industries above designated size rose by 5.9%, actual utilized foreign capital grew by 36.1%, total goods import and export volume increased by 0.5%, and the number of newly established enterprises grew by 28.1%.

I. Economic Development Quality Reaches a New Level

Sustained Growth in Total Scale

In 2024, there were five indicators reaching the trillion-yuan level: Regional GDP of 1.78 trillion yuan, 1.34 times that of 2020, accounting for 32.9% of the city’s total; Total output value of industries above designated size of 1.32 trillion yuan, 1.27 times that of 2020, accounting for 33.6% of the city’s total; Operating revenue of service industries above designated size of 1.25 trillion yuan, 1.61 times that of 2020, accounting for 21.2% of the city’s total; Total goods import and export volume of 2.61 trillion yuan, 1.25 times that of 2020, accounting for 61.1% of the city’s total; Total sales of commodities above designated limit of 5.88 trillion yuan, 1.34 times that of 2020, accounting for 37.3% of the city’s total.

Optimization and Upgrading of Economic Structure

The tertiary, secondary, and primary industries developed in an integrated manner, with the industrial proportion remaining stable and rising. In 2024, it was 22.1%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from 2020. Knowledge-intensive industries developed rapidly. In terms of proportion of GDP, information transmission, software, and information technology services increased by 2.1 percentage points to 10.3%; scientific research and technical services increased by 0.7 percentage points to 4.5%. The proportion of strategic emerging industries in industrial output value increased from 48.4% to 53.6%.

More Ample Development Momentum

From 2021 to the end of June this year, a cumulative total of 219,000 new market entities were established,

Pudong New Area

Pudong New Area is a major financial and commercial zone in Shanghai, China, which was primarily agricultural land until its development began in 1990. It is now famous for its iconic skyline, featuring landmarks like the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Tower, symbolizing China’s rapid economic growth and modernization.

14th Five-Year Plan

The “14th Five-Year Plan” is not a physical place or cultural site, but rather a national socio-economic development blueprint for China. It outlines the country’s strategic goals and priorities for the period from 2021 to 2025. Historically, it continues a series of five-year plans that have guided China’s development since 1953.

socialist system with Chinese characteristics

This is not a physical place or cultural site, but a political and economic system. It is the official framework of governance in China, developed under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. It combines Marxist theory with China’s specific conditions and reform practices, aiming to modernize the country while maintaining socialist principles.

leading area for socialist modernization

The “leading area for socialist modernization” refers to a model region, such as a special economic zone or a pilot demonstration area, that is designed to pioneer and showcase China’s modern development under socialist principles. These areas are historically significant as testing grounds for economic reforms and technological innovation, first pioneered in the late 20th century. They serve as engines for national growth and exemplars of China’s modernization strategy.

Five-Year Plan

The “Five-Year Plan” is not a physical place or cultural site but a series of socioeconomic initiatives. First implemented by the Soviet Union in 1928, these centralized economic plans set production goals for a five-year period. The concept was later adopted by other states, most notably the People’s Republic of China, which continues to use them to guide its national development.

Pudong

Pudong is a modern financial and commercial district in Shanghai, China, known for its iconic skyline featuring the Shanghai Tower and Oriental Pearl Tower. Historically, it was largely undeveloped farmland until the 1990s, when the Chinese government initiated economic reforms to transform it into a special economic zone and a global financial hub.

development and opening-up

“Development and opening-up” refers to China’s transformative economic reform policy initiated in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping. It marked a shift from a planned economy to a more market-oriented system, opening the country to foreign investment and global trade. This policy is widely credited for driving China’s rapid economic growth and integration into the world economy.

modern new city

A modern new city is a planned urban center, typically constructed in recent decades to accommodate rapid population growth or serve as an administrative capital. These cities are characterized by contemporary architecture, advanced infrastructure, and are often designed with specific economic or governmental functions in mind. Notable examples include Brasília, which was built in the 1960s to be Brazil’s new capital, and Songdo in South Korea, developed as a high-tech international business district in the early 21st century.