On the noon of January 29, the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality held a press briefing on the Yangtze River Delta Ecological and Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone (hereinafter referred to as the “Demonstration Zone”). Gu Jun, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government, director of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, and director of the Executive Committee of the Demonstration Zone, introduced the achievements of the Demonstration Zone during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and the key work arrangements for the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Qu Wei, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, Zhu Min, deputy director of the Jiangsu Provincial Health Commission and director of the Jiangsu Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yao Zhaohui, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Jin Xiaoming, chief of Qingpu District, Shanghai, Sun Daoxun, chief of Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province and Lu Zhongfei, acting chief of Jiashan County, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, attended the press briefing and answered questions from reporters.I. Achievements of the Demonstration Zone During the 14th Five-Year Plan PeriodAs a landmark initiative and major breakthrough in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the Demonstration Zone has, since its establishment in November 2019, remained firmly guided by the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping. By mobilizing coordinated efforts across the two provinces and one municipality at all levels, it has continuously advanced high-quality development. After more than six years of construction, marked in particular by intensified efforts during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the Demonstration Zone has demonstrated strong momentum in integrated, high-quality growth. Average annual nominal GDP growth reached 7.3%, with GDP totaling 571.6 billion yuan in 2025. Economic growth in the two districts and one county ranks among the fastest in their respective provinces and municipality. In addition, growth in industrial output above designated size and industrial investment in the Demonstration Zone has consistently outpaced the overall average of the Yangtze River Delta.In 2025 in particular, construction of the Demonstration Zone advanced across the board, with a steady stream of notable achievements. The Office of the Central Leading Group for Coordinated Regional Development issued a third batch of eight reform authorization items for the Demonstration Zone, bringing the total number granted across three batches to 26. All 18 items in the first two batches have already been fully implemented. In addition, the governments of the two provinces and one municipality released nine provincial-level reform authorization items, covering areas such as accelerating the development of a unified market and promoting technological innovation and industrial upgrading, to support the Demonstration Zone’s high-quality development. In advancing integrated development under the principle of “maintaining administrative affiliation while breaking administrative boundaries,” the Demonstration Zone introduced seven new institutional innovations, including a cross-provincial joint review mechanism for adjustments to urban development boundaries and a cooperative framework for ecological and environmental judicial protection. These efforts have generated a total of 161 institutional innovation outcomes. Among them, 61 reform experiences have been replicated and promoted nationwide, further amplifying the Demonstration Zone’s exemplary role. Meanwhile, Square Hall and Water Courtyard, a landmark, multifunctional project jointly developed by the two provinces and one municipality under the Watertown Parlor, has been completed and put into operation. Key areas have entered a new phase that places equal emphasis on project development and functional enhancement. The Demonstration Zone investment fund has been successfully established, and construction of the Yangtze River Delta Qingpu-Wujiang-Jiashan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has accelerated, injecting fresh momentum into regional development. The Demonstration Zone has also been designated a national practice and innovation base for the “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” concept, with its strong ecological environment increasingly emerging as a defining and valuable brand.Overall, after more than six years of sustained efforts, the Demonstration Zone has advanced from foundational groundwork and framework building to comprehensive progress and momentum building, presenting a new landscape of integrated, high-quality development. This progress is reflected in five key characteristics.First, the ecological foundation has been steadily strengthened, and green development has reached a new level. Since 2019, the annual average concentration of PM2.5 has fallen by more than 20%, while the proportion of surface water meeting or exceeding Class III standards has risen by 23 percentage points. The Demonstration Zone also released its first biodiversity survey, documenting a total of 2,790 species. Key ecological indicator species, including Baer’s Pochard, the Chinese Tiger Frog, and the Yellowstriped Curtos firefly, have established stable populations within the zone. The entire Demonstration Zone has been included on the national carbon peaking pilot list. By developing a rapid carbon emission calculation method and implementing coordinated indicators for pollution and carbon reduction, the zone has built an initial green and low-carbon development assessment system. These efforts position the Demonstration Zone at the forefront of exploring nationwide pathways to realize ecological value.Second, innovation-driven development is gaining strong momentum, fueling high-quality economic growth. By the end of 2025, the number of high-tech enterprises in the Demonstration Zone had risen to 3,713, 2.4 times the number at its inception. The Watertown Parlor has attracted top-level platforms such as the National Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, while other innovation hubs, including the Qingpu Xicen Science and Technology Innovation Center, the Wujiang Suzhou South Railway Station Science and Technology Innovation City, and the Jiashan Xiangfudang Innovation Center, are advancing rapidly. The influence of Huawei’s Lianqiu Lake R&D Center is becoming increasingly pronounced. Over the past three years, cross-regional service contracts to Shanghai and Jiangsu for the Xiangfu Laboratory pro0f-of-concept center and pilot-scale platform project in Jiashan have accounted for more than 50% of total contracts, highlighting the deep integration of the Demonstration Zone’s innovation and industrial chains across regions.Third, people’s well-being has been steadily enhanced, with co-construction and shared benefits steadily expanding. The Demonstration Zone has issued six batches of lists covering a total of 72 public services for joint development and sharing. Residents’ per capita disposable income has grown year by year. Ten inter-provincial “dead-end roads” have been opened to traffic, and eight inter-provincial bus routes have carried over five million passengers. More than 3,500 inter-provincial administrative matters can now be handled efficiently. In the healthcare sector, 566 medical institutions designated under medical insurance have implemented direct outpatient and inpatient settlement across provinces, while 1,009 designated retail pharmacies now offer inter-provincial medical insurance settlement services. At the end of last year, the pilot program for cross-regional settlement of pension subsidies was officially launched. As a result, residents’ sense of gain and satisfaction within the Demonstration Zone continues to grow.Fourth, reform and innovation have been further deepened, producing significant systemic results. Focusing on key areas such as planning management, ecological protection, and factor mobility, the Demonstration Zone has established an operational chain linking reform authorizations, institutional innovations, and their replication and promotion. In particular, under the guidance of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Coordinated Regional Development, the zone released two batches of nine institutional innovation experiences nationwide in 2025, and for the first time identified 15 institutional innovation experiences for replication and promotion across the Yangtze River Delta region, offering valuable reference for regional collaborative governance throughout the country.Fifth, the construction of major projects has advanced steadily, and the region’s functional layout is beginning to take shape. Centered on the “One Parlor, Three Areas” framework, including the Watertown Parlor, Qingpu Xicen Science and Technology Innovation Center, Wujiang Suzhou South Railway Station Science and Technology Innovation City, and Jiashan Xiangfudang Innovation Center, 180 key projects have been promoted in a coordinated manner. Since its completion, Square Hall and Water Courtyard has hosted international conferences and events, including the Global Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, the Taihu World Cultural Forum, and the opening ceremony of the World Rowing Championships. The first phase of the Innovation Engine, Pugang Road Bridge, and Xueluoyang Bridge have been completed sequentially. Construction has commenced along the entire Shanghai-Suzhou-Jiaxing Intercity Railway, while the Nantong-Suzhou-Jiaxing-Ningbo High-speed Railway is progressing rapidly. Together, these projects have laid the foundation for the region’s “demonstration zone on rails.”II. Key Work Arrangements for the Demonstration Zone in 2026This year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan and is a critical period for the Demonstration Zone to shift from image-building to functional leapfrogging. The Executive Committee of the Demonstration Zone, together with the two districts and one county, and all relevant departments across the three levels, will thoroughly implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the Central Economic Work Conference. They will also carry out the overall deployment of the central authorities, as well as the two provinces and one municipality, under the 15th Five-Year Plan, with a focus on five key areas.First, we will advance reform and innovation by establishing a fully integrated, closed-loop mechanism for reform authorizations and institutional innovations. A systematic framework linking reform authorization, institutional innovation, and the promotion and dissemination of results will be developed to enhance the impact and value of the Demonstration Zone’s institutional achievements. We will ensure the full implementation of the three batches of national-level reform authorizations, as well as the first batch of provincial-level authorizations, within the zone to generate additional best-practice cases. Focus will be placed on the “8+N” priority areas to drive the creation of high-value institutional innovations that can serve as models for wider replication.Second, we will prioritize green ecology and expand pathways for converting ecological advantages into development gains. Efforts will focus on integrating green and ecological initiatives with cultural tourism to enhance the Demonstration Zone’s overall “green value.” We will advance the national carbon peaking pilot project, guide the low-carbon transformation of traditional industries, and foster the development of a green, low-carbon industrial cluster within the zone. A carbon emission budget management system for key industries will be explored, and the pilot program for Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) accounting will be further deepened. Functional planning and thematic development under the banner of “Poetic Jiangnan, Dreamlike Water Towns” will be carried out, promoting cultural tourism by leveraging the zone’s ecological and cultural assets to boost visits to ancient towns, specialty rural hotels, and homestays across the region.Third, we will strengthen resource support and advance both the construction and functional development of key projects. Targeting priority regions and sectors, we will bolster new drivers for high-quality development within the Demonstration Zone. A review of the three-year action plan for major construction projects (2024–2026) will be conducted, alongside the initiation of a new three-year action plan. We will develop a comprehensive land-use guarantee list for major projects and actively optimize the use of existing construction land. At Square Hall and Water Courtyard, the integrated support mechanism for major events will be enhanced, and its conference and exhibition functions will be further strengthened.Fourth, we will prioritize technological innovation and strengthen the deep integration of technology and industry. Building on the development of major platforms, we will promote the close alignment of the industrial, innovation, capital, and talent chains to enhance the “innovation content” of the Demonstration Zone’s high-quality development. Efforts will be made to support the Yangtze River Delta Qingpu-Wujiang-Jiashan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in its bid to attain national high-tech zone status, thereby boosting the park’s innovation concentration and overall development capacity. We will encourage the cluster development of key industries, including next-generation information technology and green new materials, while actively exploring emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and future energy. In parallel, we will advance the construction of a world-class lake area, establishing an “innovation green core” at the heart of the Demonstration Zone.Fifth, we will prioritize people’s well-being and promote high-level, cross-regional sharing of public services. Efforts will focus on addressing public concerns, expanding the reach of shared services, and enhancing residents’ sense of gain within the Demonstration Zone. We will further develop specialized medical alliances and strengthen the hierarchical healthcare system. Cross-provincial enrollment for vocational and secondary education will be promoted to support high-quality, balanced regional educational development. Additionally, the mechanism to jointly host competitions will be deepened, with major national and regional competitions introduced and organized to further enhance the Demonstration Zone’s influence and visibility.