On Tuesday, May 14 ^th, 2013, a summit forum of “Building an International City and Improving the City’s Function” was successfully held at the School of Economics of Fudan University. The forum was jointly organized by the School of Economics and the Shanghai Economist Association. Five top experts in the field of Shanghai policy-making consultation took turns to make speeches: Prof. Wang Xinkui, president of Shanghai WTO Affairs Consultation Centre; Prof. Zhou Zhenhua, director of the Development Research Centre of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and chairman of the Shanghai Economist Association; Mr. Zhang Guangsheng, deputy director of Shanghai CPPCC Economic Committee and rotating executive vice chairman of the Shanghai Economist Association; Mr. Wan Zengwei, dean of Pudong Academy of Reform and Development and deputy chairman of the Shanghai Economist Association; Prof. Yuan Zhigang, dean of the School of Economics of Fudan University and deputy chairman of the Shanghai Economist Association. Prof. Lin Shangli, vice president of Fudan University, welcomed the attendees promising Fudan University would pay close attention to and offer policy-making  consulting service for the future progress and development in Shanghai. The forum was hosted by Prof. Sun Lijian, associate dean of the School of Economics of Fudan University and director of Fudan Institute for Financial Studies. Professors Cheng Dazhong and Chen Zhao from the school also attended as discussants.

 

In the first half of the meeting, Prof. Wang Xinkui first made a speech entitled “The New Trend of Globalization and Construction of Shanghai FTA”. Professor Wang first analyzed the three modules of the global division system, and on that foundation he further talked about how changes in the global value and industry chain have impacted the global economic and trade rules, and how FTA in Shanghai should help China cope with these new challenges.

 

Later, Prof. Zhou Zhenhua made a presentation of “Some Thoughts on Making Shanghai an International City” . He first explained the basic meaning of an international city, and pointed out old thinking needs to be changed when it comes to Shanghai’s future development. Efforts should be made in turning Shanghai into a metropolis, by improving its function as a link of the global value chain, enhancing external links and a platform-based economy. After Zhou’s speech, Prof. Cheng Dazhong made comments and joined in the discussion about Shanghai’s future development into an international free port.

 

The second half began with the speech of Mr. Zhang Guangsheng. He spoke about how to improve the city’s function and deepen reform, and focused on two issues arising in improving the city’s function: a definite understanding of the current status and objectives of the deepening reform; trade-offs in the process of improving the city’s function.

 

In the following presentation Mr. Wan Zengwei emphasized the necessity of innovation in China’s opening up process. Prof. Yuan Zhigang made the last speech of this meeting: Upgrading a Metropolis’ Function and China’s Economic Transformation. As he mentioned, the key to developing Shanghai into a metropolis is to attract and retain global capital and international talents. Afterwards Prof. Chen Zhao from the school commented on the significance of the FTA experiment. In his opinion, opening, competition and broad-mindedness are the sources of Shanghai’s future competitiveness.

 

During interactions, the audience raised hot questions such as the appearance and influence of new energy, rules on investment and reform, breakthrough point of FTA construction, to which the experts made answers one by one. The forum lasted about three and a half hours and the discussions about improving Shanghai’s city function and building Shanghai into an international city will prove quite meaningful for Shanghai’s future development.

 

Translated By Lin Qiaohui