The Yangtze River Delta Area has long been a pioneer of China's development, and it was the most developed area even in the years before 1978. It is where breakthroughs have always been made to advance the country's economic reform and opening-up.

That explains why its spearheading of the country's socioeconomic development for the new era was emphasized by President Xi Jinping, who presided over a meeting about the integrated development of this region on Thursday during a fact-finding mission in Anhui province.

The Yangtze River Delta area consists of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and Shanghai, where some of the country's most developed cities such as Shanghai, Wuxi, Suzhou and Hangzhou are clustered.

It is also home to some of the country's most developed manufacturing industries and scientific research capacity, and it boasts the largest pool of talents in an extensive range of areas. How this region further taps its potential and makes the most of its advantages to realize more breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation and manufacturing will be of critical importance to China's overall economic development in the years to come.

After the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council jointly issued a document on the region's integrated development last year, it has become a national strategy. The strategy is meant to further increase the innovation capacity and competitiveness of the region, which will hopefully lead the lifting of the overall development of the entire country to a higher level.

The world is undergoing an unprecedented change because of the spread of the novel coronavirus and the rampancy of unilateralism and trade protectionism, which have resulted in drastic changes in both the external environment and internal conditions. The post-pandemic world will be different in various ways from what it was.

As a result, it has never been so urgent and significant for China to consolidate itself in as extensive a range of areas as possible to make sure that its economy grows in a healthy and robust manner. Facing the shrinking of the world market, China must make the most of its huge market potential so as to sustain its economic growth.

Of course, China will continue to open even wider to the world, which will complement its domestic market circulation.

The mission for the Yangtze River Delta area is therefore of grave importance. Details make the difference, and the local governments concerned must make joint efforts under the grand scheme of the national strategy to do a great job in planning every detail of their development plans. For only with even higher level development in all sectors can the country realize higher-quality national socioeconomic development.