The Development and Opening Up of Pudong
Based on observations and analysis of the volatile international situation and ongoing domestic reform in the 1990s, the CPC Central Committee decided to take the Pudong area of Shanghai as a pilot to push forward reform and opening up.
The CPC Central Committee and the State Council announced a decision on April 18, 1990 on the development and opening up of Pudong, an area by the Huangpu River that runs through Shanghai. In a follow-up move, the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai Municipal Government unveiled guidelines for implementing the Pudong development project to revitalize Shanghai, benefit the country, and embrace the world. The Pudong project soon emerged as a "reform template," well-known at home and recognized abroad. In early 1991, Deng Xiaoping urged Zhu Rongji, then mayor of Shanghai and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, to "be fully committed to Pudong's development and to the project's completion."
At its 14th National Congress in October 1992, the CPC released a plan to open more cities along the Yangtze River, with Pudong's development spearheading the initiative, and to build Shanghai into an international economic, financial and trade hub to boost the economic takeoff of the Yangtze River Delta and the entire Yangtze River Valley.
The subsequent 15th and 16th CPC national congresses both set further requirements for Pudong in opening up and innovation. In June 2005, the Pudong New Area was designated as a pilot area in a national comprehensive reform strategy. In 2007, the Party's 17th National Congress set higher goals for Pudong. In April 2009, the Nanhui administrative district was merged into the Pudong New Area.
This new area has new goals as China enters a new era of development. The central leadership has entrusted it with strategic tasks such as building China's first pilot free trade zone and first comprehensive national science center. Today, in an area that is only 1/8,000 of the country's land territory, Pudong produces 1/80 of China's GDP and handles 1/15 of its goods imports and exports.
Over the past 30 years, Pudong has maintained its leadership in reform and opening up. It saw the creation of China's first financial and trade zone, first bonded zone, first pilot free trade zone, Lin-gang Special Area, and first foreign-funded trade firm. It is Shanghai's center for international economy, finance, trade, shipments, and scientific and technological innovation. It has evolved from a farming area into a modern urban district with a complete range of functions and advanced facilities. It has taken an economic leap forward and brought overall improvement to local residents' lives. This demonstrates the strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and is a perfect example of China's reform, opening up and socialist modernization in practice.
浦东开发开放
20世纪90年代，国际形势风云变幻，国内改革风起云涌，中共中央全面研判国际国内大势，统筹把握改革发展大局，作出了开发开放上海浦东的重大决策，掀起了中国改革开放向纵深推进的崭新篇章。
1990年4月18日，中共中央、国务院正式宣布开发开放浦东。随后，上海市委、市政府按照中央的战略部署，制定了“开发浦东、振兴上海、服务全国、面向世界”的开发方针，浦东开始成为享誉国际的中国“改革样本”。1991年年初，邓小平嘱咐时任上海市委书记、市长朱镕基等人，“抓紧浦东开发，不要动摇，一直到建成”。1992年10月，中共十四大强调，以上海浦东开发开放为龙头，进一步开放长江沿岸城市，尽快把上海建成国际经济、金融、贸易中心之一，带动长江三角洲和整个长江流域地区经济的新飞跃。中共十五大、十六大都要求浦东在扩大开放、自主创新等方面走在前列。2005年6月，浦东新区获批成为国家综合配套改革试点，标志着浦东改革开放进入了新阶段。中共十七大进一步提出要更好发挥浦东新区的重要作用。2009年4月，原上海市南汇区行政区域获批划入浦东新区。
进入新时代，中共十八大、十九大继续对浦东开发开放提出明确要求。中共中央把首个自由贸易试验区、首批综合性国家科学中心等一系列国家战略任务放在浦东，推动浦东开发开放不断展现新气象。如今，浦东以全国1/8000的面积创造了全国1/80的国内生产总值、1/15的货物进出口总额。
浦东开发开放30多年来，改革开放走在全国前列，诞生了第一个金融贸易区、第一个保税区、第一个自由贸易试验区及临港新片区、第一家外商独资贸易公司等一系列“全国第一”，承载了上海国际经济中心、金融中心、贸易中心、航运中心、科技创新中心建设的重要功能。浦东已经从过去以农业为主的区域，变成了一座功能集聚、要素齐全、设施先进的现代化新城，经济实现跨越式发展，人民生活水平整体性跃升。浦东开发开放取得的显著成就，为中国特色社会主义制度优势提供了最鲜活的现实明证，为改革开放和社会主义现代化建设提供了最生动的实践写照。