On the afternoon of February 20, Li Qiang, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Ying Yong, mayor of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, met with the Changzhou government delegation headed by Wang Quan, secretary of the CPC Changzhou Municipal Committee, and Ding Chun, mayor of Changzhou Municipal People’s Government.

Li Qiang welcomed the visit of the Changzhou delegation and briefly introduced the economic and social development of Shanghai. He said that Shanghai will carry out the major tasks of the three new missions in accordance with the requirements of the CPC Central Committee, those are, to expand the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, to set up a “science and technology board� on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and to implement the national strategy of Yangtze River Delta Integration Plan. Shanghai will accelerate the progress of becoming an international economic center, international financial center, international trade center, international shipping center and international science and technology center, in order to build itself into a remarkable global city and a socialist modern international metropolis with world influence. In accordance with the important guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping on promoting the development of higher quality integration in the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai will strengthen the linkage and cooperation with the other cities in the region, give play to Shanghai's advantages in talent pool and technological innovation, release greater spillover effects and give full play to its leading role. Shanghai and Changzhou have close exchanges and cooperation in various fields. He hoped that the two cities will further develop their own advantages, strengthen matchmaking and deepen cooperation, so as to make greater contributions to promoting the integration of the Yangtze River Delta.

Wang Quan, on behalf of the CPC Changzhou Municipal Committee and the Municipal Government, expressed gratitude to Shanghai for its long-standing support. He said that the delegation has gained a lot of experience during this visit, which has broadened the delegates� horizons, extended their thoughts and enhanced their sense of urgency and responsibility for accelerating development. Shanghai is the pilot of China's reform and opening up. It is geographically and culturally close to Changzhou, with a long history of cooperation and exchanges. As early as the beginning of reform and opening up, it was thanks to the “Sunday Engineers� in Shanghai that Changzhou’s township and village enterprises grew rapidly and jointly created the famous “Sunan Model� with Wuxi and Suzhou. At present, Changzhou is going all out to cultivate the “Tree of Happiness�? build a star city and promote high-quality development. Changzhou will firmly grasp the opportunity of Yangtze River Delta Integration Plan, deepen the exchanges with Shanghai at multiple levels and in various areas, and expand cooperation with Shanghai in industrial development, innovation, culture, tourism and other fields, in order to achieve active, accurate and effective integration and make Changzhou's contribution to the comprehensive implementation of the Yangtze River Delta Integration Plan.

Shanghai leaders Zhuge Yujie and Peng Shenlei, and Changzhou leaders Yu Zhiping, Cai Jun, Han Jiuyun, Chen Tao, Cao Jiazhong, Zhou Changming, Zhou Bin, Fang Guoqiang, Bai Yunping, Liang Yibo, Li Lin, Chen Zhengchun and Hang Yong were present at the meeting.