The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Bridge (CFP Photo) 

Smooth progress has been made in promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, a national strategy approved last year, with new cooperation and coordination schemes rising constantly in recent months.

Construction of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-speed Railway, a major project for the delta’s integrated development, kicked off in Huzhou of Zhejiang Province on June 5, marking the reopening of cross-province collaboration.

On June 18, the Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) launched a series of initiatives to implement the strategic agreement inked with the G60 Science and Innovation Corridor, a high-tech manufacturing zone.

They included the release of the COMAC supplier development requirements guide, supplier pool, and establishment of an innovation alliance, amid efforts to achieve technical breakthroughs and build a robust industrial chain.

As the world's first bridge with a span of over 1,000 kilometers for both highways and railways, the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong bridge started operation on July 1. The dual-use bridge cuts the travelling time between Shanghai and Nantong as well as northern Jiangsu and improves the transportation network.

On August 19, the executive committee for building a demonstration area in the delta on ecologically friendly development hosted a signing ceremony to pioneer the cross-regional cooperation on tax-related affairs, which involved 15 items in four categories at the beginning.

Such measures will usher in a new era of tax collection and administration in the demonstration area that spans Qingpu District in Shanghai, Wujiang District in Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province, and Jiashan County in Zhejiang Province. In the future, taxpayers registered in the area can apply for handling tax-related affairs on the list by choosing the nearest service sites in any of the three places.

The zone has also released the unified catalogue for the guidance of industrial development and access system for industrial projects across the demonstration area, the first such cross-provincial policy guideline in China.

In the post-pandemic era, regions in the delta have maintained a dynamic, close cooperation, and many key projects have signed agreement or stepped up progress under a holistic approach.

For example, in the delta, the number of commuters who travel to and from Shanghai for work has reached 57,000 daily.

It’s safe to say, in the course of the integration, the delta is also becoming increasingly open.