Shanghai Sets 2040 Transport Goals
Shanghai aims to become China’s leading international shipping, aviation and railway hub by 2040, according to a draft of the city's master plan.
China Daily reports that by 2040, the city’s two major airports will handle about 160-180 million passengers annually. More than 20 percent of them will be passengers transferring to other flights and more than 40 percent will be international tourists.
The city has also set a goal of handling 45 million TEUs in Shanghai ports by 2040, with an international container transfer rate of about 10 percent.
Shanghai Yangshan deep water port and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port will be central to achieving the target, along with other ports including Hangzhou Bay and Chongming Island.
In 2014, Shanghai’s Yangshan set a world record by handling over 35 million TEUs. It is an important transport hub for the Yangtze River region and the most important gateway for foreign trade.
As the port with the nation's largest container handling capacity, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port has instigated a number of productivity measures aimed at international shipping such as online pre-inspection of documents and one-stop customs clearance services, reports China Daily. The waiting and inspection time for an inbound ship has been reduced from 24 hours to 12 hours.
Four main railway stations will handle 65 percent of outbound passengers, making Shanghai a major railway junction in China.
Meanwhile, Lingang New City, a port area in Shanghai, is to become an advanced industries hub by 2020 with sponsorship of more than 18 billion yuan ($2.7 billion) from the city government. The funds are expected to advance intelligent manufacturing, new energy, advanced materials and advanced information technology.
Shanghai has been one of the fastest developing cities in the world for the last twenty years, with double-digit growth nearly every year since 1992, with the exception of the global recession of 2008-2009.
Shanghai's population in 2016 is estimated to be just over 24 million, making it the most populous city in China and the most populous city proper in the world.