Chongqing eyes high-quality development, high-efficiency governance

BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has pledged to forge ahead with high-quality development, pursuit of an improved urban lifestyle, and high-efficiency governance to fuel its contribution to Chinese modernization, according to a press conference held on Wednesday.

The press conference, focused on Chongqing's role in promoting China's high-quality development, was held in Beijing on Wednesday morning by the State Council Information Office.

Highlighting Chongqing's status as a provincial-level municipality with the largest jurisdictional area and highest population of all Chinese cities, Hu Henghua, Chongqing's mayor, said during the press conference that the city plays a pivotal role in multiple strategic initiatives, including the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor -- a multimodal network combining rail, road and sea transport that was established by China and Southeast Asian countries.

With 6.1 percent GDP growth last year and 6.2 percent growth in the first quarter of this year, Chongqing has taken solid steps in a bid to write its own chapter in advancing Chinese modernization, noted Hu.

Hu also pointed out that the core of a city is its people, and said that Chongqing has always been committed to the concept of building a people-oriented city.

In terms of urban transportation, Chongqing's central urban area features very complex terrain and topography, making it challenging for the public to travel, as trips often require climbing slopes. To date, a total of 13 urban rail lines have been built in Chongqing, spanning 538 kilometers, while "tailor-made" short-distance bus routes have been designed to make traveling easier for residents, Hu added.

In addition, Chongqing is expected to enhance the capabilities of its digital city operation and governance center, come up with more effective and user-friendly digital applications, and continuously explore new paths for the modern governance of mega-cities, according to the press conference.