On the morning of today (November 19), a municipal government press briefing titled “Striving to Build a World-Class Ecological Island Where Humanity and Nature Coexist in Harmony,” the 14th session of the “Delivering Solid Results through Action, Advancing the New Blueprint: Achievements under Shanghai’s 14th Five-Year Plan” series, was held. Li Jun, Secretary of the CPC Chongming District Committee, introduced the district’s development achievements during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Lu Chenfei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Chongming District Committee and acting district chief, Hu Liuqiang, deputy district chief, and Xu Huiquan, deputy district chief, attended the press briefing and answered questions from reporters.Chongming District serves as Shanghai’s strategic ecological development zone, a pioneer and leader in ecological civilization, and a key front for implementing both the rural revitalization and maritime power strategies. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Chongming District has adhered to the principle of ecological development, vigorously advancing the “+ecology” and “ecology+” strategies, and promoting the integrated development of ecology, production, and living. The district is committed to establishing a new national benchmark for ecological civilization and setting a model for green development along the Yangtze River.Over the past five years, Chongming has become increasingly beautiful and ecologically advanced, with its environmental quality reaching new heights. Guided by the principle that ecology represents Chongming’s greatest value, responsibility, and potential, the district has worked to craft a remarkable chapter in building a world-class ecological island where “humanity and nature coexist in harmony.” Institutional safeguards have been strengthened. Guided by the Outline of the Development Plan for Chongming World-Class Ecological Island (2021-2035), the district has continuously developed the “1+X” legal framework for world-class ecological islands. Key policies have been formulated and implemented on the Yangtze River fishing ban, ecological protection red line delineation and management, and the accelerated development of modern urban green agriculture, thereby reinforcing institutional safeguards across ecological environment, industry, and living sectors. Chongming has also waged a decisive battle against pollution. The three-year rolling action plan for ecological island construction has been fully implemented, with comprehensive improvements to environmental protection infrastructure aimed at safeguarding “blue skies, white clouds, clear waters, and green banks.” The proportion of surface water meeting quality standards and the safe utilization rate of key construction land have both remained at 100%. Forest coverage has reached 21.64%, wetland protection stands at 60.73%, and air quality excellence has been maintained at around 90%. Chongming’s ecological reputation has been elevated. The district has been honored with titles such as China’s Natural Oxygen Bar, China’s Most Livable City, and International Wetland City. It has also been selected as a national pilot city for climate-adaptive urban construction and named among the first batch of national “Harmonious and Beautiful Islands.” The Dongtan Habitat for Migratory Birds has become Shanghai’s first World Natural Heritage site. Today, Chongming is accelerating its development as a practice and innovation base for the philosophy that “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets.” By enhancing its international reputation and prestige in ecological conservation, the district comprehensively showcases Shanghai’s achievements in ecological civilization and embodies the new vision of building a beautiful China.Over the past five years, Chongming has pursued green development and innovation, allowing its pristine environment to drive new economic growth. Protecting the ecological environment has clearly transformed green mountains and clear waters into social and economic assets. In 2024, the district achieved a GDP of 44.881 billion yuan and an industrial added value of 58.46 billion yuan for enterprises above designated size, marking increases of 17.5% and 29.2%, respectively, compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Modern green agricultural brands have gained widespread recognition. Focusing on seed agriculture, facility agriculture, and bio-agriculture, and aiming to build an agricultural “Silicon Valley” in the Yangtze River Delta, Chongming has basically formed an ecosystem to integrate research platforms, policy support and industrial incubation. Over the past five years, nearly 5 billion yuan has been invested in 33 modern urban agricultural projects, and 80 agricultural science and technology projects have been launched. A total of 317 individual germplasm resources of Chongming’s characteristic vegetables have been carefully selected and preserved, while a new river crab variety, Chongming No. 1, has been successfully cultivated. Brands such as Younong Sanxiongdi, Chongming Zhenxuan, and Chongming Rice continue to gain recognition, with the certification rate of green and high-quality agricultural products remaining above 90%. In 2025, the district’s total agricultural output value is expected to reach 5.56 billion yuan. For four consecutive years, Chongming has been listed as a national demonstration county for green, high-quality, and efficient grain production, consistently ranking first in the country for its agricultural green development index. The advanced manufacturing sector has also seen remarkable growth. The shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment industry cluster has earned national recognition as an advanced manufacturing cluster, with the local industrial output of the marine equipment industry projected to reach 90 billion yuan in 2025. Changxing Island has become one of China’s largest, most advanced, and internationally competitive shipbuilding bases. It holds a 20% share of the global LNG carrier market; Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding secured the world’s largest LNG carrier order, and Jiangnan Shipyard’s ultra-large ethane carrier orders account for over 80% of the global market. Chongming’s quay cranes have maintained a 70% global market share, holding the world’s top position for 28 consecutive years. Leading international marine engineering products, including the world’s largest standard container ship, the Xue Long 2 polar research vessel, and the world’s largest gantry crane, were developed here. Cutting-edge technologies such as 3D experiential R&D design and polar icebreakers continue to emerge, supported by leading institutions like Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Changxing Ocean Laboratory and the National Marine Equipment Technology Innovation Center, propelling the local shipbuilding and marine industry toward world-class status. Chongming is also advancing a green and low-carbon transformation. Using the carbon neutrality demonstration zone as a starting point, the district led the city in establishing an ecosystem GDP accounting system and a refined carbon emission management framework. The 100,000-ton carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage innovation demonstration project at the Changxing Island Power Plant has been completed and put into operation, alongside several distributed photovoltaic power generation projects. By 2025, energy consumption per unit of GDP is expected to decrease by 13.5% compared with 2020, while renewable energy will account for 32% of total electricity consumption. Chongming’s “dual carbon” initiatives were showcased at the side event of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, demonstrating the district’s expertise in ecological governance on the international stage. The integration of culture, sports, and tourism has revitalized the area. The Xisha Pearl Lake Scenic Area has been designated a national 5A-level tourist attraction, alongside three national-level key rural tourism towns and six national-level and 13 municipal-level key rural tourism villages. The M515 Cultural and Creative Industrial Park exemplifies a model that integrates nature, cultural creativity and cross-sector experience, offering daytime activities such as running and paddling, and nighttime experiences like coffee and stargazing, transforming the area from an “industrial rust belt” into a “living show belt.” By successfully hosting major sporting events such as the UCI Women’s World Tour and the FIBA 3x3 Masters, and promoting signature events like the Chongming Flower Festival, Island Cycling Tour, and Rural Cultural Tourism Festival, Chongming is becoming ever more of a “poetic haven” that captures the hearts of all who visit.Over the past five years, Chongming has nurtured both the hearts and daily lives of its residents, continuously enhancing their sense of happiness and well-being. A healthy ecological environment is the fairest public good and the most inclusive benefit for the people. Chongming has fully leveraged this advantage, allowing residents to enjoy the beauty of nature, life, and community in their hometown. Ecological awareness has taken root among the population. Green living has become the mainstream trend, with the green building area expanding steadily and the development of eco-friendly urban projects and low-carbon communities advancing in an orderly manner. Along rural paths, small vegetable gardens, orchards, and flower beds are visible in nearly every household. Village cleaning and garbage sorting have become daily habits. Raw domestic waste is now entirely diverted from landfills, while the resource utilization rate of agricultural and forestry waste remains at 100%. “Zero-waste cells,” including zero-waste factories, school campuses, hospitals, and express delivery outlets, have been established, transforming ecological protection from a government obligation into a personal responsibility for residents. Residents’ incomes have grown alongside environmental improvements. Efforts to strengthen the rural collective economy have focused on developing rural industries and supporting agricultural entrepreneurs. For example, the “One-Stop Service for Rural Homestays” reform reduced the required opening time and materials for homestays by 75% and 68%, respectively, boosting the industry to a total of 1,127 homestays. Local specialties, such as white goats, bitter grass, mushrooms, and saffron, have been promoted as “doorstep industries,” and rural products are now sold nationwide through e-commerce. As a result, the per capita disposable income of rural residents rose from 29,457 yuan in 2020 to 40,612 yuan in 2024, an increase of 37.9%. Life in Chongming has also become more convenient. Construction of Metro Line 22 and the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway has progressed smoothly, forming two major east-west transport corridors. The district’s “four horizontal and seven vertical” backbone roads network has been upgraded, and green buses now reach every village, ensuring convenient mobility for all residents. Shanghai Jiao Tong University, through its Changxing Ocean Laboratory and Chongming Campus, has established a comprehensive chain of research, education, and industrial transformation, injecting technological expertise and youthful vitality into the district. Innovative education models, such as “prestigious university + new campus,” “higher education + general education,” and “private + public,” have improved coordination of resources for primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, and vocational schools in line with population growth. Elderly care and public services have also been strengthened. A batch of new elderly care homes and canteens have been added, alongside “smart nursing homes” and integrated hospital services. Environmental renovations have been completed in over 4,000 elderly households to make homes more age-friendly, transforming “elderly care” into “enjoying old age.” Regional medical alliances have been expanded, and community health service centers standardized, achieving the goal of treating minor illnesses within the community and major illnesses on the island.This year marks both the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan period and the 24th anniversary of the construction of Chongming Eco-Island. Over the past five years, Chongming District has steadily strengthened its foundation and built a robust framework for development. In the coming five years, the district will seize new opportunities and forge ahead, offering greater insight and serving as a model for advancing Chinese modernization, where humans and nature coexist harmoniously.