China to step up construction of new-type urban infrastructure

China has issued a document of guidelines on promoting the construction of new-type urban infrastructure.

The guidelines, made public on Thursday, was jointly approved by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, and highlights two major goals.

By 2027, significant progress should have been made in the construction of new-type urban infrastructure, providing ever increasing support for the development of resilient cities, while a number of experience and practices that can be copied and expanded should have been established.

By 2030, the construction of new-type urban infrastructure should have achieved remarkable results, to help push forward the building of a group of high-level resilient cities, improve urban safety and resilience, and ensure safer, more orderly, smarter and more efficient urban operations.

To achieve these aims, major tasks must be fulfilled in 11 aspects, including implementing the building and upgrading of intelligent municipal infrastructure, promoting the coordinated development of smart city infrastructure and intelligent connected vehicles, and developing smart residential quarters, according to the guidelines.

In addition, there are other important tasks such as raising the intelligence level of housing and building management, carrying out digital home construction, improving city information modeling platforms, and maintaining cyber and data security.

"Currently, various types of urban disasters and safety accidents are prone to occur frequently. Proposing comprehensive advancement in building resilient cities is an important measure to address the current urban disaster risks. Meanwhile, it is also an important aspect of advancing the modernization of urban governance in our country, with significant implications for implementing the holistic approach to national security and promoting the secure development of cities," said Wang Kai, president of the Chinese Academy of Urban Planning and Design.

Experts said that cities, which serve as the main engine of China's economic and social development and play a primary role in expanding domestic demand, provide the broadest application scenarios and innovation space for new-generation information technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and the Industrial Internet.

"The construction of new-type urban infrastructure essentially aims to construct a new-type urban infrastructure system based on digitization, networking, and intelligence. We should firmly grasp the development trends of digitization, networking, and intelligence to enhance the level of intelligence of the entire urban infrastructure, improve our monitoring capabilities, and enhance our risk prevention and control capabilities," said Liang Feng, vice chairman of the Smart City Professional Committee of the Science and Technology Committee under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

China to step up construction of new-type urban infrastructure

The robust and integrated development between Hengqin and Macao stands as a testament to the success of the "one country, two systems" policy, which has earned widespread approval from Macao residents, said Ho Ion Sang, vice president of the General Union of Neighbor Associations of Macao.

During a press interview ahead of the closing meeting of the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Monday, Ho, also a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, highlighted the profound economic and social transformations Macao has undergone since its return to the motherland in 1999.

Six years ago, at a community-level meeting, Ho met a Macao resident surnamed Chen who had relocated to Zhongshan City in neighboring Guangdong Province after marriage. She commuted daily between Zhongshan and Macao for work and was particularly concerned about her children's education.

To promote integrated development between Macao and Guangdong, the central government launched the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin in 2021. Located at the southern tip of Zhuhai City in Guangdong Province, Hengqin is separated from Macao by a narrow stretch of water.

"In December 2020, the Zhuhai municipal government announced the Macao New Neighborhood project, which provides 3,800 housing units in Hengqin for Macao residents, along with schools, healthcare facilities, and a public service center. Macao residents have realized that integration between the two regions has made significant strides. Their children can now enroll in the Hengqin School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School and receive Macao's educational benefits," said Ho. He further noted that Macao residents in Hengqin have access to medical care and other public services through facilities directly operated by Macao's Health Bureau, as well as a 24-hour administrative service center.

Last year, Chen and her family moved to the Macao New Neighborhood, greatly improving their commuting, schooling, and healthcare conditions. According to Ho, the family deeply appreciates the joint efforts of the governments in both regions.

"Chen's experience vividly illustrates how Macao residents have benefited from national policies. It reflects the close ties between Guangdong and Macao over the past 25 years since Macao's return to the motherland. Hengqin represents a dreamland that harnesses the strengths of both regions. The sweetness of this dreamland is tangible, and the integrated development between Hengqin and Macao stands as factual proof to the world that the 'one country, two systems' policy is viable, achievable, and wins people's hearts," said Ho.

The annual session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, China's top political advisory body, took place in Beijing from March 4 to 10.

Hengqin-Macao integrated development testifies to success of 'one country, two systems'