The total economic output of China's Yangtze River Delta region reached 34.66 trillion yuan (approx. 5.07 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, hitting a new record high, according to the latest data from the Yangtze River Delta Regional Cooperation Office.
The number of "trillion-yuan cities" in the region increased to 10, accounting for over one-third of the Chinese cities with such economic size.
The ten cities are Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Wuxi, Hefei, Nantong, Changzhou and Wenzhou.
The total exports of the region amounted to 10.85 trillion yuan, representing 40.2 percent of the national total. This further highlighted the region's role as a strong and dynamic growth engine for the country's economy.
The Yangtze River Delta region, which covers Shanghai Municipality and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, all in east China, is one of China's most economically dynamic, open and innovative areas, playing a key role in national development and driving high transportation demand.
Economic output of China's Yangtze River Delta region hits record high in 2025
Shanghai is improving its business environment starting from the neighborhood level to ensure the precision of the city management.
This footpath along the Suzhou Creek is a popular spot for leisure and exercise in the city.
Many visitors of the Fotografiska Museum like to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the outdoor vibe. But in fact, putting chairs outdoors is not a simple matter for the store itself.
When this gallery opened in 2023, it wanted to set up an outdoor seating area.
"We are located by the road and along the creek, so there are many joggers, sports enthusiasts, and tourists passing by. We need to consider how to balance our operations with the flow of people through the area,” said Crystal Cao, guest experience manager of the gallery.
The problem was quickly solved with the help of a "business environment specialist" in the neighborhood.
In Shanghai's North Station neighborhood, 12 specialists each oversee 30 to 40 local companies, ensuring that their requests are addressed promptly.
"My job is to communicate with enterprises and know their needs. If they have requests, we help solve them," said Sun Danyan, a business environment specialist of Shanghai North Station Neighborhood.
The gallery shared its plans with the specialist, who then reported them to the neighborhood office. The office coordinates with district-level departments, such as landscaping and city appearance bureaus, to design the outdoor area.
Without such specialists, companies, especially smaller ones, would have to navigate multiple departments on their own, which can be challenging.
"Small companies often have limited access to resources and information. They need our neighborhood office to provide support and help them access the resources they require," said Sang Zhenxiao, office director of Shanghai North Station Neighborhood.
Private enterprises account for more than 90 percent of Shanghai's businesses and are a key pillar of the city's economy.
Xu Jiao, deputy director of the Development and Reform Commission in Shanghai's Jing'an District, said the business environment is designed to support not only large or foreign firms, but also small local companies.
"The neighborhood is the closest to the companies and the last kilometer in the business environment. So, we use the ‘neighborhood serving as whistle blower to urge departments to report for duty’ to make our job more efficient. Any problems companies meet can be reported to the higher level via this mechanism," he said.
On the first workday of 2026, Shanghai launched its ninth version of the action plan to accelerate the development of a world-class business environment. The plan prioritizes government service efficiency as its first chapter.
Building a world-class business environment is also highlighted in the recommendation for China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), signaling a clear commitment to supporting enterprises, especially small and private companies.
Shanghai improves business environment starting from neighborhood level
Shanghai improves business environment starting from neighborhood level
