Shanghai is set to accelerate its development as a metropolis with global influence, according to the recommendations of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for the city's economic and social development.

The recommendations, which were adopted at the 8th plenary session of the 12th Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC on Dec 22, 2025, and published on Jan 19, place priority on deepening the construction of "Five Centers" — international economic, financial, trade, shipping, and science and technology innovation centers — to enhance the city's global competitiveness in the next five years.

Here's a closer look at the blueprint:

1. Elevating the International Economic Center:

• Modern industrial system: Building a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as its backbone, to create world-class high-end industrial clusters and enhance the "Shanghai Manufacturing" brand. This system features the dual transformation of traditional industries through digitalization and green initiatives, three strategically leading industries, six emerging pillar industries, and six future-oriented industrial clusters.
• Service sector: Implementing actions to enhance service sector capabilities and quality, improving its policy support system, and strengthening the "Shanghai Service" brand. This involves high-end development of producer services and high-quality development of consumer services.
• Domestic demand expansion: Continuing targeted actions to boost consumption, deepening the construction of an international consumption center, and enhancing the "Shanghai Consumption" brand. This includes expanding service consumption and encouraging innovation in consumption patterns and business formats.
• World-class enterprises: Supporting top-tier companies in improving their development capabilities, and playing a leading role in driving the collaborative development of large, medium, and small enterprises.

2. Enhancing the competitiveness and influence of the International Financial Center:

• RMB asset allocation and risk management: Accelerating the construction of a global renminbi asset allocation center and risk management center. Expanding cross-border and offshore financial services and improving the regulatory system.
• Modern financial system: Accelerating the improvement of a modern financial system. Enhancing a robust financial market system and building a collaborative financial institution system.
• Financial services for the real economy: Vigorously developing technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, and elderly care finance to enhance the ability of finance to serve the real economy.

3. Promoting the upgrading of the International Trade Center:

• Trade hub function: Strengthening trade hub functions, accelerating trade innovation and development, and serving the construction of a strong trading nation. This includes upgrading goods trade, expanding service trade, and accelerating the development of digital trade.
• Trade structure transformation: Accelerating the transformation of the trade structure. Promoting more diverse and balanced trade markets, strengthening the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade, and advancing the high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce.
• Global supply chain management: Strengthening the global supply chain management function. Supporting leading enterprises and chain owner enterprises to strengthen supply chain integration, build a supply chain ecosystem with close cooperation between upstream and downstream enterprises, and strengthen the allocation of bulk commodity resources.

4. Accelerating the construction of a globally leading International Shipping Center:

• Sea and air hub ports: Consolidating and upgrading the status of global sea and air hub ports. Promoting the construction of major projects such as the Xiaoyangshan North Operation Area and the phase II project of the Luojing Port Area Container Terminal Reconstruction.
• Modern shipping services: Vigorously developing modern shipping service industries, including building a world-class shipping exchange and advancing shipping finance.
• Digital, intelligent, and green transformation: Accelerating the digital, intelligent, and green transformation of shipping. Continuously promoting the construction of an international container transport service platform and building a shipping energy supply system that is both internal and external, diversified, and cost-controllable.

5. Strengthening the core function of the International Science and Technology Innovation Center:

• Basic research pioneer zone: Deepening the construction of the Basic Research Pioneer Zone. Focusing on high-risk and high-value basic research, optimizing investment and evaluation mechanisms, and producing more pioneering breakthroughs with significant impact.
• Integration of innovation: Promoting the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation. Deepening the reform of empowering technology achievement and asset listing management.
• Education, science, and technology: Promoting the integrated development of education, science, and technology. Building a harmonious innovation system that is in line with the rules of technological innovation and talent growth.

Source: WeChat account of the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government "shanghaifabu"