In the face of changes in the international and domestic situations, the central government proposes to foster a new development pattern where domestic and foreign markets can boost each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay. Promoting the development of regional economic integration and releasing the potential of metropolitan areas and urban agglomerations through institutional innovation is expected to be one of the main focus points for promoting new urbanization and creating high-quality growth poles during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.The Yangtze River Delta is of great significance in the layout of China's urban agglomerations. The Yangtze River Delta is one of the regions with the most active economic development, the highest degree of openness and the strongest innovation ability in China. With a good foundation of urban agglomeration, it is the only region in China that ranks among the six largest urban agglomerations in the world.In 2018, the central government upgraded the integration of the Yangtze River Delta to a national strategy. At the end of August this year, President Xi emphasized that we must deeply understand the status and role of the Yangtze River Delta in the country’s economic and social development. The Yangtze River Delta must take the lead in forming a new development pattern; be a pioneer in China's technological and industrial innovation; accelerate the creation of a new highland for reform and opening up.How has the Yangtze River Delta integration progressed since it became a national strategy three years ago? What experiences or lessons does China have in the development of regional integration in the past? Where should we start to establish the integration mechanism? How to give full play to the role of metropolitan areas and urban agglomerations in dealing with new challenges at home and abroad? What is the driving force for China's next high-quality economic growth? Caixin think tank interviewed Liu Zhibiao, President of the Yangtze IDEI.
