A view of West Lake in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province [Photo/IC]

Hangzhou, located in the central area of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, is teaming up with neighboring cities in Jiangsu, Anhui and Shanghai for collaborative planning in an effort to further push forward the integrated development of the YRD region.

Upgrading the industrial chain with Shanghai in the east

In the northeast of Hangzhou lies Suzhou and Shanghai, two important cities in the YRD area.

To advance YRD integration, efforts should be taken to advance industrial integration, especially the integration of innovative resources.

Chen Jianjun, a professor of regional economics at Zhejiang University, believes that the Hangzhou-Shanghai alliance will be effective in major areas of digital economy, financing and tourism exhibition culture.

The digital economy output of Hangzhou and Shanghai leads the YRD region. The two cities complement each other in the financial sector and can improve the digital economy industrial chain, said Chen.

"Shanghai is home to world-class scientific research, financing, and exhibition resources, the very things Hangzhou needs for further development," said an official from the Hangzhou development and reform commission, adding that Hangzhou is now actively expanding cooperation with Shanghai.

The G60 Science and Innovation Corridor, a high-tech manufacturing zone connecting Shanghai and eight other cities in the delta region, plays an important role in the integration of the delta region.

The G60 Corridor aims to break the regional barriers between provinces and maximize entrepreneurship and scientific innovation.

Meanwhile, Chen noted that Hangzhou should also deepen cooperation and promote resource sharing with Suzhou, a major player in information equipment manufacturing, while Hangzhou is competitive in the information service industry.