Tech valley poised to be Yangtze River Delta growth engine

Three years after its inauguration, the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Valley in the Yangtze River Delta is poised to become a growth engine for the delta's technical and economical development, its operation office said on Monday during the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

The announcement is in line with the keynote speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony, elevating integrated development of the delta region to a national strategy.

Initiated in 2016 by Shanghai's Songjiang district, the valley now is joined by nine cities, including Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province, and Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu province, as well as Wuhu, East China's Anhui province. Altogether, it covers a total population of 49 million people and a space of 76,200 square kilometers, which accounts for one quarter of the Delta region.

"By breaking the boundaries between different cities and administrative regions, the valley has taken full advantage of each place and leveraged the power of scientific innovation to drive economic growth," said Gao Yiyi, director of the valley's operation office.

Gao added that the valley, named after the highway connecting Shanghai with Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province, and running through the cities in Shanghai and its neighboring provinces, is benchmarking the likes of Route 128 in Boston, dubbed "America's Technology Highway", which opened the tech age with its proximity to university labs like MIT's.

Some 30 new measures are to be announced on Nov 8 during the CIIE by the valley, which will introduce more favorable policies for foreign companies to get involved in its enterprises.