Delta demonstration zone put on the fast lane

The development of the Yangtze River Delta Ecology and Greenery Integration Demonstration Zone has been put on the fast lane with its combined GDP reaching 472.5 billion yuan (US$64 billion) in 2023, posting an average annual growth of 5.94 percent compared with 2019, a press conference heard on Wednesday.

The total output value of large-scale industrial enterprises in the zone hit 872.9 billion yuan in 2023, growing 8.19 percent compared with 2019.

The zone comprises Jiashan County in Zhejiang Province, Wujiang District of Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province, and Qingpu District in Shanghai.

Established in 2019, it has 3,319 national high-tech enterprises and the Lianqiuhu Research and Development Center of Huawei has been put into operation.

In terms of people's livelihoods, the zone has witnessed remarkable progress over the past five years.

The Xicen Station on Metro Line 17 in Qingpu District opened for traffic recently. It is the west extension of Line 17, bringing the total number of subway stations on the line to 14.

The travel time between Huzhou in Zhejiang Province and Shanghai Hongqiao will be cut to 55 minutes when the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-Speed Railway opens on Thursday.

The 164-kilometer rail route starts from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, runs through Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, and ends at Huzhou Railway Station.

The Qingpu branch of the Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University (Shanghai Red House Ob & Gyn Hospital) is in operation, and the Demonstration Zone Data Center Cluster and the Jiaxing Hospital affiliated with the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine are accelerating construction.