|
Shanghai's three worst social problems -- traffic congestion, housing shortage and pollution - have been significantly eased with massive capital investment, and the mega city now aims to turn itself into an internationalized metropolis in 20 years.
Shanghai mayor Chen Liangyu told the "PRC-Day" Seminar in Shanghai on Thursday, one of the ongoing 35th Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Meeting activities, that since 1990 investment in local infrastructure construction had reached 365 billion yuan (44 billion U.S. dollars) and in housing development projects had jumped to 350 billion yuan (42 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 90 percent and 60 percent respectively of total investment over the past five decades.
The capital injection has built an integrated urban traffic network composed of elevated highways, express trunk roads and urban subways, four bridges over the Huangpu River, and the first phase of the Pudong International Airport with a designed capacity of handling 20 million passengers each year, according to Chen.
Local sources also indicate that Shanghai has demolished 31 million sq. m of old residential buildings since 1990. Newly built houses in the same period exceed 100 million sq. m in floor space, raising the per-capita living space from 6.6 sq. m in 1990 to 12.1 sq. m in 2001. The chronic housing shortage in the city has ended.
A group of high-capacity waste-water treatment and discharging facilities has been built, and a clean-up project has significantly improved the water quality of Suzhou Creek. Meanwhile, massive afforestation efforts have increased the per capita green space from one sq. meter 10 years ago to 5.5 sq. m last year.
Upon completion of a deep-water harbor in five to 10 years, Shanghai is expected to become a global shipping hub, and the airport project will finally make the city one of the aviation centers in the Asia-Pacific region, Chen said.
The mayor attributed Shanghai's achievements to successful financial reforms over the past decade, adding that the social capital investment now was running smoothly in line with market principles, under the guidance of the government.
Chen revealed that Shanghai planned to keep up the momentum for reforming its investment and financing system, introduce some internationalized methods and mobilize stronger public support for the urban construction drive.
(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2002)
|
