Quan Heng: Reinforcing the Core Functions of the City: The Practice of High-quality Development in Shanghai
In order to promote the construction of Shanghai as a socialist cosmopolitan cultural metropolise, build a platform for promoting culture and talent exchange, interaction and integrated development, and display and share the wisdom Shanghai cultural talents, the Shanghai High-end Forum on Promoting Culture and Talents sponsored by the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Committee and hosted by the Shanghai Federation of Social Sciences Associations was held in the city on April 25th, 2023.
Focusing on the theme of “Chinese Path to Modernization and Construction of the Soft Power of Shanghai”, Zhao Qizheng (Former Director of the State Council Information Office of China), Quan Heng (Secretary of the Party Committee of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences), Liao Changyong (President of Shanghai Conservatory of Music), Zhang Weiwei (President of the China Institute of Fudan University), and Ma Boyong (a famous writer) delivered their keynote speeches.
The following is an excerpt from Quan Heng’s keynote speech at the forum. The title of the speech is “Reinforcing the Core Functions of the City: The Practice of High-quality Development in Shanghai”.
How shall we go on the “Chinese path to modernization” in Shanghai? How can we complete the primary task of high-quality development? How should urban soft power and hard power enable and reinforce each other? I think that strengthening the core functions of the city is the key to the above questions. Basically, we still need to continuously strengthen “the four functions” of Shanghai and comprehensively enhance its core functions.
First, continuously strengthen the global resource allocation function and enhance the allocation efficiency of global resources. We should accelerate the development of enterprises and market players that can allocate global resources most efficiently and rationally, expand and strengthen local transnational companies, and actively allocate global resources across all borders. In terms of building “five centers”, we should improve our global price discovery and pricing capabilities in international finance, trade and shipping. We should accelerate the integrated development of international science and technology innovation center and international economic center, promote industrial upgrading through scientific and technological innovation, and enhance Shanghai’s industrial innovation capability and international competitiveness.
Second, continuously strengthen the strategic planning function of scientific and technological innovation and enhance the efficiency of technological progress. Shanghai should follow the logic of science, technology and innovation in order to speed up the construction of scientific and technological innovation center with global influence. The whole society should actively cultivate and promote “the four spirits” and expand “the four teams” (namely, the team of scientists with scientific spirit, the team of entrepreneurs with adventure spirit, the team of blue-collar workers and professional laborers with craftsmanship spirit, and the team of civil servants with the spirit of rule of law).
Third, continuously strengthen the leading function of high-end industries and enhance the labor productivity of industries. Shanghai’s industrial transformation has been completed. The structure and proportion of the three industries are reasonable, but the industrial upgrading is not very well completed, especially not advanced enough. There is still much room for improvement in labor productivity. At present, we are accelerating the digitalization of traditional industries, their eco-transformation, the innovative development of three leading industries and the upgrading of six key industries, including four new tracks and five future industries. We aim at enhancing the labor productivity, improving the technological content and knowledge intensity of industries, and strengthening industrial competitiveness.
Fourth, continuously strengthen the portal function of openi hubs s and improve the “dividends” of reform, opening up and institutional innovation. Shanghai is speeding up the construction of Lin’gang New Area of Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and Hongqiao International Open Hub. This is the pilot practical exploration for higher-level institutional opening in Shanghai. Shanghai actively explores for China’s high-level reform and opening up and Chinese path to modernization by continuously expanding institutional opening involving rules, regulations, management and standards.
