Spanning over Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province and Shanghai municipality, Yangtze Delta is crowned as a "golden Delta". Adjacent to the neighbouring sea and rivers, benefited from the policy of reform and opening up to the outside world, it has developed into a region of strongest economic power and most promising potential through out China. Seventy-four countries and fifteen cities including Shanghai, which form the eye-catching Yangtze Delta City Group, scatter over the land like sparkling pearls. Though covering only 1% of the country 's area, it creates 1/6 of GDP with 6% of the country's population.
Yangtze Delta is located in the middle of the subtropics, belonged to the subtropical monsoon climate zone. Its annual temperature averages 16 centigrade, annual precipitation of about 1200mm,and annual frost season 230 days. It boasts distinctive four seasons and abundant sunshine, which is most beneficial to the sustainable development of agriculture and related economic departments. With vast rivers and lakes covering the region made up of mainly plain, it embraces plenty of water resources and water products. Moreover it is always one of the most important tourist markets as well as tourist destinations in China.
Lied at the mid area of China's north-south coastal line where the world's third longest river-Yangtze River emptied into the sea, backed up by its boundless inland, the Yangtze Delta enjoys a superior location with numerous river ports and sea ports of geographic advantages dotted along the coast.
Transportation is quick and convenient in the Yangtze Delta. A network of railways and expressways has come into being. Among the water routes, there are Yangtze River Route, international outer sea routes and domestic routes along the coast. Airline service is also making a headway. Airports including Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing have many international airlines annuals, meanwhile, their domestic airlines can get to anywhere in China. In general. A full-scale all-direction cubic large-carrying-capacity transportation system has been constituted in the Yangtze Delta.
Yangtze Delta has long been known as a birthplace of creative workers and gifted intellectual in history. Its science, technology and culture is boosting nowadays, with more than 100,000 high-tech talents accounting for 20% of the country's, more than 500,000 students in higher education taking up 17% of the country's, who build an effective and efficient working team of huge number and high quality.
With it's solid economic foundation, broad industrial departments and advanced high technology, Yangtze Delta has established itself as the most important center of comprehensive industry, business, trade and economy. Half of the top one hundred countries of comprehensive power in China are from Yangtze Delta and ten cities in the same region list themselves the most powerful thirty-five national cities in economy.
The Pudong new area in Shanghai which covers an area of 522 square kilometers is now pushing the Yangtze Delta as a hot spot of investment from both home and broad. About half of the most famous 500 international transnational corporations in the world have invested here, and the trade export of Yangtze Delta accounts for over 1/5 of the total domestic production.
Brief Introduction of the initiating units of "International Conference on Regional Development of Yangtze Delta"
1.Shanghai Teachers University
It is a comprehensive university featuring the study of urban, ecology and culture. It has undertaking regional research of Shanghai and Yangtze Delta for many years. Authorized by Mr.Wang Daohang, it organized conference of historical culture and environment changes in Yangtze Delta(1997) and Academic Exchange conference of ecological culture and regional economic development in Yangtze Delta(1998).
2.Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences
It is a regional research institute of environmental sciences. It is the earliest, largest and authoritative institute of its kind.
3.Connection Center on Yangtze Delta, China Society for Urban Studies
The first united institute for urban sciences covering several provinces, it has held 11 annual meetings in the provinces respectively in Yangtze Delta.
4.University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
It took the lead in establishing institute of systematic science in Yangtze Delta region. It boasts many outstanding achievements in urban and regional transportation and in international cooperation of applied basic research.
5.Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Science
The earliest geographical institute, it is an authoritative regional institute of Taihu Basin with outstanding findings in urban regional research.
6.China Consulting & Cooperation Center
It's a non-governmental institute for academic, economic and cultural exchanges between China, Germany and EU countries. It's an initiating unit of all the previous conferences in Yangtze Delta.
7.Taihu Basin Water Resources Protection Bureau
Affiliated to the State Council, it is a water resources management institute covering several provinces. It is one of the organizers of the previous conferences.
8.The Editorial Department of Urban Research
The first publication of urban study in China, Urban Study has reported systematically the academic activities of regional and urban research in Yangtze Delta.
9.Coodination Committee for Urban Economic of Yangtze Delta
It is a standing institute for governmental economic cooperation for the 15 cities and regions in Yangtze Delta. CYDRD has been listed in the agenda of the conference.
10.Wujin Municipal Government
It is one of the earliest star cities at county level in Yangtze Delta.
11.Chinese Center of International Eurasia Academy of Science
A united non-governmental scientific community of countries in Asia and Europe, it has exerted internationally influences on comprehensive research of cross-subjects.
12.Nanjing University
The most famous university in Yangtze Delta in China, it takes the lead in basic theory research.
13.Zhejiang University
It is a famous university with a long history and largest scale in China.
14.Tsinghua University
A world famous university with a long history, it has participated in regional and urban research in Yangtze Delta.
15.Shanghai Institute of Geography
It is a geographical association with the longest history in China and plays an important role in Yangtze Delta urban research.
16.State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Protection System
One of the earliest state key laboratories, it has played as a pioneer and a leader in paving the way for a better future of the Chinese geographical information system. It has undertaken research for GIS of Yangtze Delta in recent years.
