Solid Progress in New-Type Urbanization and Steady Improvement in Urban Development Quality

Solid Progress in New-Type Urbanization and Steady Improvement in Urban Development Quality 

—Series Report XII on the Economic and Social Development Achievements since the 18th CPC National Congress 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has attached great importance to the new urbanization, putting forward a new urbanization strategy with people as the core and quality improvement as the orientation. The strategy is a historic achievement as it has provided directions and basic principles to be followed for the new urbanization, driving China's urbanization to improve its quality and performance. China's urbanization has steadily progressed and the development potential has been unlocked. Better services have been provided and people have been able to live in a more beautiful environment. China has witnessed an increase in the quality of urban areas. 

I. Gradually Optimized Urban Development Pattern, with a Steady Increase in Urbanization 

(I) Increasing number of urban areas, with continued improvement in urban size and structure 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the landscape of urban areas of different sizes has been improving. By the end of 2021, there were 691 urban areas in China, 34 more than that by the end of 2012. Among them, the number of cities above the prefecture level and above increased by 8 to 297. The number of county-level cities increased by 26 to 394. There were 21,322 designated towns, an increase of 1,441 from the end of 2012. China has seen an increasing urban population. Depending on the size of the registered population by the end of 2020 [1], the number of cities at the prefecture level and above with a population of 1-2 million, 2-4 million, and over 4 million were 96, 46, and 22, respectively, an increase of 14, 15, and 8 from the end of 2012. The numbers of cities with population of less than 0.5 million and 0.5-1 million were 47 and 86 respectively, a decrease of 7 and 22. 

(II) Coordinated development of small, medium and large cities, with faster urban cluster construction 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the spatial layout of urbanization has been optimizing, with the coordinated development of large, medium and small cities and towns. The integrated development of urban clusters has been significantly better. Major cities such as municipality directly under the central government, provincial capitals, municipalities with independent planning authority, and key node cities have been getting stronger in driving development of their surrounding areas. The role of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen have been further played as the leaders of small and medium-sized cities in their regions. It is also worth emphasizing the fact that counties have made solid progress in complementing their weak links, documents related to the "1+N+X" system have been introduced, and 120 model counties have worked steadily in construction. 

Urban cluster building has been very effective. The "19+2" urban cluster layout has been fundamentally established. Great progress has been made in the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. The Chengdu-Chongqing region has entered a fast track of development. Urban clusters in the middle reaches of Yangtze River, Beibu Gulf and Guanzhong Plain have seen a steady increase in agglomeration capacity. The Yangtze River Delta, with Shanghai as the core, has driven the common development of five major metropolitan areas: Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou, and Ningbo. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen as the engine, has helped surrounding areas. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, with Beijing and Tianjin as the core, has become the largest and most dynamic economic circle in northern China. Urban clusters such as the Chengdu-Chongqing region, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Guanzhong Plain have been working on a mechanism for inter-provincial consultation and coordination for further integrated development. 

 (III) Higher-quality citizenship of migrant workers, with accelerated urban-rural integration 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has fundamentally established a system to grant permanent urban residency to rural migrant population for the steady progress of the quality citizenship. The barrier to settle in an urban area has been significantly brought down as a historic breakthrough has been made in the reform of China's household registration system. Most urban areas with a resident population of 3 million or less have ceased to impose restrictions on settlement, while urban areas with a resident population of 3 million or more are in the process of orderly relaxation. Since 2014, 130 million rural migrants have obtained permanent urban residency status nationwide. By the end of 2021, China saw an urbanization rate of 64.7% of its resident population, up 11.6 percentage points from the end of 2012, or an increase of 1.3 percentage points per year. Urban areas have enabled access to basic public services with better coverage, and a greater proportion of migrant workers have registered for basic medical and pension insurance as urban employees. Children of rural migrants, as mandated, have been allowed to receive compulsory education in their place of permanent residence. In 2021, 90.9% of rural migrants' children who were obliged to receive education studied in public schools or filled the slots purchased by the government in privately-run schools in the urban areas with population inflows. 

The process of urban-rural integration has been accelerated and, in particular, the mechanisms and policy systems of urban-rural integration development have been constantly established and improved. In 2019, the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Establishing Sound Mechanisms and Policy Systems for Integrated Urban-Rural Development was issued and implemented, which drives the gradual establishment of mechanisms for the provision of basic public services in urban and rural areas as one. On this basis, all 11 Chinese pilot zones for integrated urban-rural development have formulated and issued implementation plans to speed up their reform and pilot tasks. The income gap between urban and rural residents in China has been narrowing. In 2021, the 12th consecutive year in which the income of rural residents grew faster than that of urban residents, the per capita disposable income of rural residents was RMB 18,931, up 9.7% YoY in real terms, 2.6 percentage points higher than that of urban residents. The per capita disposable income ratio between urban and rural residents was 2.50, down 0.38 percentage points from 2012. 

II. Evidently Enhanced Urban Economy, with Unlocked Development Potential 

 (I) A dramatic increase in economic aggregates, with significant enhancement of financial strength 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, all regions have been committed to applying the new development philosophy to promote high-quality development and fast growth in economic output. In 2020, the gross regional product in prefecture-level cities and above was RMB 61,171.3 billion (prevailing prices, hereinafter inclusive), up from RMB 32,738.2 billion in 2012. The 1-Trillion-Yuan GDP Club has been growing. There were only seven cities in China with a gross regional product of over RMB 1 trillion in 2012, and Shanghai was the first of them to exceed RMB 2 trillion. In 2021, there were 24 cities in China with gross regional product over RMB 1 trillion, and 6 of them were even over RMB 2 trillion. The profit of industrial enterprises in prefecture-level cities and above amounted to RMB 3.9 trillion in 2020, an increase of 32.8% over 2012. The financial strength of urban areas has increased significantly as the revenue from general public budgets of cities at the prefecture level and above was RMB 6,073.9 billion in 2020, an increase of 75.8% over 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 7.3%. The expenditure of public budgets was RMB 9,462.9 billion, an increase of 111.9% over 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 9.8%. 

(II) Fruitful S&T innovation, with upgrading and optimization of industrial structure 

Urban development has created a favorable ground for scientific and technological innovation as the major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen have become the principal sources of scientific and technological innovation. In 2020, cities at the prefecture level and above spent RMB 384.8 billion on science and technology, accounting for 4.1% of the expenditure of general public budgets, up from only RMB 141.8 billion, accounting for 3.2% in 2012. There were 3.42 million patents authorized (citywide) [2], up from 1.13 million in 2012. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China has ranked first in the world in terms of patent applications for 11 years in a row. 

The urban economy has been transformed and upgraded with a boost in the transformation of traditional industries. The industrial structure has been optimized in light of a higher share of the service industry. In 2013, the tertiary sector in prefecture-level cities and above exceeded the secondary sector in the share of value added for the first time, and then accounted for more than 50% in 2014, reaching 60.5% in 2020. China's advanced manufacturing industry has grown well, moving towards a high-quality industry. In 2021, the value added of high-tech manufacturing industry grew by 18.2% YoY, 8.6 percentage points ahead of the industries above designated size, accounting for 15.1% of the value added of industries above designated size. The share of high-tech manufacturing increased by 5.7 percentage points over that in 2012. 

(III) Faster growth of urban residents' income, with consumer market highlights 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has comprehensively implemented pro-employment policies. As a result, the scale of employment in China has significantly increased as the number of employed people in urban areas increased by 94.86 million from 372.87 million in 2012 to 467.73 million in 2021. Also, China has made continuous efforts in reforming its income distribution system and promoting targeted policies to alleviate and eliminate poverty. As a result, the per capita disposable income of urban residents increased from RMB 24,127 in 2012 to RMB 47,412 in 2021, with an average annual real growth rate of 5.7%. 

China has seen a consistent improvement in the quality of life of its people, and a significant upgrade in the structure of consumption. Per capita consumption expenditure of urban residents increased from RMB 17,107 in 2012 to RMB 30,307 in 2021, with an average annual real growth of 4.4%. The Engel coefficient of urban households was 28.6%, down 3.4 percentage points from 2012. With major business districts and commercial areas as the core, a multi-tiered urban circulation network based on community commerce has been built. New products, services and models have been emerging, and consumer demand has been increasing. In 2020, the total retail sales of consumer goods in cities at the prefecture level and above was RMB 25,028 billion, an increase of 91.5% over 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 8.5%. In July 2021, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing took the lead to develop themselves into international consumer center cities. They have developed and introduced solid and effective policies and measures for this purpose. 

III. Significantly Enhanced Urban Security Systems, with Constant Improvement in Public Services 

(I) Significantly improved health care services, with a sounder social security system 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has called for putting people's health high on the development strategy. In 2020, cities at the prefecture level and above spent RMB 850.3 billion on health care, a 2.2-fold increase over 2012. China has seen increasing quality of medical services. By the end of 2020, there were 4.76 million beds and 2.33 million doctors available in urban medical and health institutions at the prefecture level and above, respectively, up 79.8% and 75.4% from 2012. Medical resource allocation has been further optimized. In 2020, the number of community health service centers (stations) increased to 35,000, providing essential coverage to all sub-districts. 

The CPC Central Committee has given priority to the development of social security system. Specifically, the social security system has become increasingly sound and the coverage of social insurance has continued to expand. In 2020, cities at the prefecture level and above spent RMB 1,169 billion on social security and employment, up 149.3% from 2012. They spent RMB 339.9 billion on housing security, up 117% from 2012. By the end of 2020, 237.49 million people in prefecture-level cities and above were covered by basic pension insurance for urban workers, 289.72 million people were covered by basic medical insurance for urban residents, and 140.1 million people were covered by unemployment insurance, 46.2%, 14.1% and 41.6% more than that in 2012, respectively. 

(II) Steady progress in education, with prosperity in cultural development 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has made overall efforts to further its education reforms, especially in improving its public educational services and governance capacity. In 2020, cities at the prefecture level and above spent RMB 1,508.1 billion on education, up 96.2% from 2012. By the end of 2020, 2,679 general higher education schools (citywide) were operated in prefecture-level cities and above, up 291 from the end of 2012. There were also 24,698 general secondary schools, an increase of 4,940, and 45,976 general primary schools, an increase of 1,206. In 2021, China's gross enrollment rate in higher education hit 57.8%, an increase of 27.8 percentage points over 2012. 

China has seen cultural diversity and prosperity like hundreds of blossoms. In 2020, cities at the prefecture level and above spent RMB 185.3 billion on culture, sports and media, up 109.3% from 2012. By organizing nation-wide activities to create civilized cities, China has pushed forward its cultural-ethical development. By the end of 2021, there were 305 civilized cities (districts and counties) in China, 252 more than that by the end of 2012. Cultural programs and cultural industries have been flourishing to sustainably meet the diversified, multi-tiered and multi-faceted cultural-ethical needs of the people. By the end of 2021, there were 3,215 public libraries in China, 139 more than that by the end of 2012. In 2021, the box office of Chinese movies amounted to RMB 47.3 billion, with 1.17 billion viewers in urban cinemas. 

(III) Rapid progress in transport infrastructure construction, with easier travel for people 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has pushed forward its supply-side structural reform in transportation, resulting in an increasingly complete comprehensive transportation infrastructure network. China has led the world in transportation milestones such as high-speed rail mileage, expressway mileage, inland waterway navigable mileage, urban rail transit mileage in operation, number of berths of 10,000 tons and above in coastal ports, and lengths of licensed transport airports, postal routes and express service networks. China has built urban roadways at a rapid pace. By the end of 2020, China saw 4.37 million km of classified highways (citywide) in cities at the prefecture level and above, 140,000 km of expressways (citywide), and 7.2 billion km2 of actual urban roads, an increase of 24.6%, 60.5% and 54.6% respectively over 2012. A multi-tiered rail network has been in place at an accelerated pace. The proportion of cities with more than 200,000 people connected to the rail network increased from 94% in 2012 to 99% in 2021, and cities with more than 500,000 people connected to the high-speed rail network increased from 28% in 2012 to 90% in 2021. The coverage of urban rail transit has been gradually expanded. By the end of 2021, there were 275 urban rail transit lines opened in 51 cities with 8,736 km in operation. Smart transportation services have been improving and emerging technologies such as 5G, big data, and AI have been incorporated into transportation services more quickly. Specifically, online car-hailing services have been provided in more than 300 cities and bike sharing services have been launched in more than 360 cities, resulting in more diversified and personalized transport for residents. 

IV. Very Effective Urban Eco-Civilization Development, with More Beautiful Living Environments 

(I) Further green development, with great improvement in urban quality of life 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, with Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization gaining popularity, "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" has become the consensus of the whole party and society, and beautiful China is moving towards a new era. Cities have made solid efforts to promote ecological civilization. By the end of 2020, 2.59 million hectares of green space were available in cities at the prefecture level and above, an increase of 38.2% over the end of 2012. There were also 640,000 hectares of park green space, an increase of 48.6%. Urban green construction has been intensively pursued. In 2020, 68% of new buildings in China's urban areas were green, and more than 13.6% of energy consumption was renewable. The establishment of urban waste recycling and renewable utilization systems has been accelerated. By the end of 2020, 46 key cities have basically established domestic waste classification and treatment systems, with 96% coverage of residential areas. Cities vigorously advocate a simple, moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle, and carry out actions such as creating energy-saving institutions, green families, green schools, green communities, and green travel. The urban life has been improved in an all-round way with lucid rivers and lakes surrounded by green trees, streets and alleys planted with flowers and trees, and mini parks and small and micro green spaces around majority of communities within 15 minutes' walk. Living in clean and tidy residential complexes, citizen's sense of gaining, happiness and safety is greatly enhanced in the improved ecological environment. 

(II) Intensified pollution prevention and control and continuously improved environmental quality 

The "three great wars of defense" for the blue sky, lucid water, and unpolluted land have been launched in an all-round way. Various policies and measures have been implemented to vigorously promote pollution control, and the ecological environment has continued to improve. With investment in energy conservation and environmental protection increased significantly, in 2020, cities above the prefecture level spent RMB 283 billion on energy conservation and environmental protection, an increase of 134% over 2012. The emission reduction of major pollutants is effective. In 2020, the industrial wastewater discharge (city-wide) and industrial sulfur dioxide discharge (city-wide) in cities above the prefecture level dropped by 48% and 87.9% respectively compared with 2012. With continuous improvement of air and water quality, in 2021, the proportion of days with good air quality in cities above the prefecture level reached 87.5%, an increase of 0.5 percentage point from the previous year, and the average concentration of PM2.5 was 30 μg/m3, a decrease by 9.1% from the previous year; among the 3,641 national surface water assessment sections, the proportion of sections with good water quality (Class I-III) was 84.9%, an increase of 1.5 percentage points over the previous year. 

(III) The acceleration of urban renewal to display beautiful communities 

With the steady advancement of China's urbanization, urban development has shifted from large-scale incremental construction to stock quality improvement and incremental structural adjustment. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee clearly proposed the implementation of urban renewal actions to continuously improve the quality of urban living environment, people's quality of life and urban competitiveness. Different regions in China have successively promulgated urban renewal policies and regulations, improved institutional mechanisms, explored various models, and established distinctive Shanghai models, Guangzhou models, and Shenzhen models. A number of new paradigms, new models, and new landmarks have been established across China. By holding "Winter Olympics", Beijing Shougang Park has become a "new landmark of urban revival" with international influence. Guangdong conducted renovation on "three olds" (old towns, old factories, old villages) to revitalize the stock of low-efficiency construction land, and the "Zijin Mountain Model" in Longyan City, Fujian Province has turned abandoned mines into lucid waters and lush mountains. The transformation of old urban communities has become a new highlight where "I truly serve the masses". From 2019 to 2021, a total of 115,000 old urban communities have been renovated across China, benefiting more than 20 million families. With more beautiful living environment, renovated communities provides better public services, promotes more harmonious community relations, and displays high livability. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China's new-type urbanization has made great achievements, and its urban development has reached a new historic level as well. Taking the new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way and marching towards the second centenary goal, we should unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, closely follow the guide of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, continue to deepen the new urbanization with citizen priority, continuously improve people's livelihood and well-being, and make unremitting efforts to build a modern socialist country in an all-round way. 

Note: 

[1] Since the urban statistical data for 2021 has not been released yet, most of the indicators in this article adopt the data of 2020;  the statistical caliber of the indicators is the municipal district (urban area), unless otherwise specified. 

[2] The whole city refers to the entire administrative area of the city, including urban areas and counties (cities) under its jurisdiction.