Shanghai takes its place as a cosmopolitan city
Shanghai takes its place as a cosmopolitan city
China was one of the first countries to recognize Indonesia's
independence. The strong bilateral ties were cut in 1967 when
Jakarta accused Beijing of backing an abortive communist coup in
1965, a charge China denies. Formal diplomatic ties resumed in
1990. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of relations, the
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited a delegation of
Indonesian journalists to visit China earlier this month. Below
are reports and photos by The Jakarta Post's T. Sima Gunawan.
SHANGHAI (JP): As the woman pushes the button, the elevator
door closes and she informs the passengers in a soft voice that
they will be going up at a speed of six meters per second.
When she has finished making the announcement, in Mandarin and
English, the door opens. Voila -- one is perched 339 meters above
the ground at the Space Module of the Oriental Pearl Tower. The
468-meter-tall radio and TV tower, including its 60-meter-tall
antenna, is the highest TV tower in Asia and the third highest in
the world.
A sightseeing floor, a conference hall and a coffee bar are
available at the Space Module. Two other sightseeing spots are
located on the lower level. There is also a hotel and a
restaurant in the building, which has become one of the main
tourist attractions in the area.
The tower is located at the mouth of Lujiazui finance and
trade zone, at the gateway to Pudong's economic and financial
development area.
It was built in 1993 at a cost of 900 million RMB (about
US$112.5 million), according to the local office of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. The construction was completed in less than
six years.
"Today, about 10,000 visitors come to the Space module every
day," a guide from the ministry said. "The cost (for
construction) has been recovered."
The entry fee to the Space Module is 100 RMB (more than
US$12).
From the tower, visitors enjoy the beautiful scenery around
Huangpu River. There is the Bund, the boulevard famous for its
European-style buildings dating back to Shanghai's heyday in the
1920s. Boats plow the river and high-rise buildings are
everywhere on land.
The bridge along the Huangpu River next to the Bund is a
favorite spot for lovers, especially when night descends. Street
photographers are ready to record the special moments for
posterity, while cold drinks and snacks, including grilled corn,
are available.
The Oriental Pearl Tower is only one of 2,400 modern
buildings, mostly skyscrapers, built in Shanghai in the past
eight years.
Once a small fishing village, Shanghai had grown into the
biggest city in the Far East industrial and commercial center of
China.
History
It has a long history, including when China was defeated in
the Opium War in 1942. Britain, the United States, France, Russia
and Japan forced China to open its five main cities, including
Shanghai. It was not until 1949 that China regained control of
the famed city.
After the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s,
China began to introduce reform schemes in various areas,
including economics, in the 1970s. In 1990, the central
government decided to change the function of Shanghai from an
industrial center to a financial center.
There is no money provided by the central government but the
Shanghai administration may use 5 percent of its revenue to
develop its own area.
Assistant director of the foreign affairs office of Shanghai
Municipal People's Government Kitty Xia said that in the past
eight years they invested US$120 million in infrastructure.
"Within 20 years we plan to have 11 metro lines and seven
overflying lines," she said.
There are currently two metro lines and another one is under
construction.
In the meantime, the municipal government keeps pushing
forward reforms by building market economics, opening a new area,
Pudong, and at the same time improving education and social
welfare.
They apply a industrialization policy of three in one.
"Meaning that we give priority to three industries: financial,
commercial and information industry," said vice secretary-general
of the Shanghai Association of Planning Xiao Lin, who is also
director and senior economist of the policy and law department of
the Shanghai municipal planning commission.
Xiao Lin said financial revenue last year was 130 billion RMB
(US$16.25 billion), accounting for 34 percent of total GDP.
"From 1991 to 1999, the annual average growth rate was 10.3
percent while last year's per capita income was $3,720," he said
of a figure which is six times the national level.
Shanghai has trade relations with 188 countries and there are
more than 1,000 firms with foreign investment. Up to 1999 total
contracts for foreign investment amounted to US$13 billion, while
paid investment was $27.7 billion.
"Of the 500 leading world class companies, 254 of them have
invested in Shanghai, mostly in Pudong," he said.
One can breathe easy on the city's streets, thanks to
compulsory vehicle emission tests and the use of unleaded
gasoline.
To curb industrial pollution of rivers, strict regulations
have been implemented. Polluting companies with low profits must
be closed, but those which are profitable are ordered to be
relocated to peripheral areas, with financial support from the
government.
Urbanization presents its own set of problems. Shanghai is now
home to 13.5 million people with a total labor force of more than
5 million. Over 1 million workers are from other provinces.
Xiao Lin estimated there were between 200,000 and 300,000
unemployed people in Shanghai.
Many lost their jobs as a result of the government's decision
to close down state-owned enterprises and to merge them in an
efficiency scheme. Living allowances are provided for the
unemployed.
On human resources development, the Shanghai administration
prioritizes assistance to gifted individuals regardless of their
age.
Xiao Lin, for example, is in his early 30s, while his
assistant, Chen Shi Yan, is in her late 20s.
"No matter what age you are, if you are capable, you'll be
given an important position," Xiao Lin said.