Aerial photo taken on Oct. 15, 2019 shows a view of the Lujiazui area in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

With low unemployment rate, rising per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents and steady GDP growth in 2019, Shanghai, China's financial hub, will continue its efforts for a healthier, higher-level development pattern.

SHANGHAI, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's financial hub Shanghai has maintained steady growth amid global economic uncertainties and is in quest of a healthier, higher-level development pattern.

The city achieved estimated GDP growth of over 6 percent in 2019, according to the government work report delivered at the local annual legislative session Wednesday.

Despite rising risks and uncertainties in the global economy, the economic structure of Shanghai continued to improve, with the added value of the tertiary sector accounting for more than 70 percent of the GDP last year.

About 589,000 new jobs were created, and the registered unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in 2019.

The per capita disposable income in Shanghai grew by 8.2 percent for urban residents and 9.3 percent for rural residents last year, with the latter recording faster growth than the former for eight consecutive years.

For 2020, the city forecasts its GDP growth at around 6 percent.

INVESTMENT HOTSPOT

The city remains as a top investment hotspot, with foreign capital hitting a new high of 19.05 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, up 10.1 percent year on year, official data showed.

An average of over 52 million U.S. dollars of foreign capital was invested in Shanghai daily, and the number of new foreign investment projects also rose 21.5 percent year on year in 2019.

Last year, 50 regional headquarters of foreign-funded multinational companies and 20 foreign-funded R&D centers landed in Shanghai, according to Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong in his work report.

As a key financial center, Shanghai further opened up its financial sector with a series of new regulations. The total turnover of financial markets in 2019 in Shanghai rose 17.5 percent to 1,933 trillion yuan (about 280 trillion U.S. dollars), and the e-commerce gross merchandise volume increased by 14.5 percent.

Photo taken on July 22, 2019 shows the debut ceremony of China's sci-tech innovation board (STAR market) at the Shanghai Stock Exchange in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

In his work report, Ying said Shanghai strives to establish itself as an international economic, financial, trade and shipping center and put in place the framework of a center of innovation in science and technology with global influence.

"We will push for the realization of more opening-up projects of the financial sector," said Ying. "With a view to setting up an internationally competitive financial institution system, we will cluster important financial institutions of all kinds, accelerate the development of Shanghai as an international asset management center and give a strong boost to FinTech."

NEW SOURCE OF GROWTH

Echoing the country's move toward sustainable growth, Shanghai vows to step further in upgrading its industrial chain and transit from old growth engines to new ones in 2020.

"We will focus on the development of emerging, high-end, refined and specialized services," said Ying, adding that efforts will be made to upgrade traditional manufacturing sectors such as automobiles, high-end steel and fine chemicals and boost emerging industries such as integrated circuit, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, aviation and aerospace, smart manufacturing and digital economy.

Photo taken on Jan. 7, 2020 shows China-produced sedans at Tesla's gigafactory in Shanghai, east China.

The city will also attach more importance to fueling consumption as it sees "consumer demand as the ultimate domestic demand."

"We will work to promote the integration and innovation of business, culture, tourism, health and sports, expand emerging types of consumption such as information and fashion, promote housekeeping, elderly care and other areas of service consumption, and further advance the night-time economy," said Ying. "We will build Shanghai into a global destination for launching of new products and revitalize time-honored brands." ■