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        (1)外文名称: Shanghai Municipality
       (2)中文名称: 上海市
       (3)内容: Shanghai Municipality

   The City of Shanghai lies on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean and at the central section of the north-south coastline of China. Situated just south of the Yangtze Estuary, Shanghai is one of China's biggest foreign trade ports and one of the largest metropolises in the world. This biggest manufacturing center in China is turning out a wide range of products such as ball pens, wrist watches, textiles, household electrical appliances, electronics goods, steel, ocean-going ships, automobiles and jetliners.

   Shanghai is a city under the direct administration of the Central Government, like the three others of Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing. With a total area of 6,340 sq km, Shanghai has a population of 13.04 million. It has under its jurisdiction 15 urban districts and 5 counties.

   Shanghai belongs to the North Asia hot monsoon climate, with four distinctive seasons. The city has sufficient sunshine and rainfall.

   Shanghai takes a lead in industrial technology in China. It has a powerful force of science and technology and its education sector has developed rapidly. The ratio of technical personnel in various fields to every 10,000 people exceeds the national average by 180 percent.

   In the early 1990s, the Shanghai Municipal Government made a strategically important decision to develop and open the Shanghai Pudong New Area, and to elevate Shanghai to the position of a "vanguard" in China's process of reform and opening-up. Covering an area of 522 sq km, the Pudong New Area has a population of 1.5 million. The area consists of the Waigaoqiao Bonded Zone, the Lujiazui Banking and Trading Zone, Jinqiao Exports Processing District and the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Garden. Many world leading multinational corporations have made investments in the area. They include General Motors, Motorola, Kodak, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Matsushita, Sharp, C. Itoh, Siemens AG, Philips, Bell, etc. In addition, China's central government departments as well as other provinces and municipalities have established "domestically funded" joint ventures in the area.

   Shanghai is an investment hot spot for investors from all over the world. Hundreds of world-renowned transnational companies had obtained a foothold in Shanghai. The city's area for foreign investment is now being expanded. As a city with the largest number and variety of foreign financial institutions in China, Shanghai has a total of 154 foreign banks and financial representative offices. Since 1984, the Port of Shanghai has been one of the largest ports of the world, each capable of handling 100 million tons of cargo annually. So far, the port of Shanghai has had trade relations with more than 400 other ports and more than 600 shipping companies from more than 160 countries and regions. The Hongqiao International Airport has opened air routes to 28 cities in 18 countries and regions including Japan, the United States and Germany. With the total capacity reaching 3.475 million lines, the telephone switching system in Shanghai is capable of directly dialing to 25 other countries and regions. The city has opened international express mail services (EMS) to 100 countries and regions.

   Advancing toward 21st Century

   Since initiating the reform and open policy, Shanghai -an oriental metropolis -- has experienced tremendous changes of historic significance and has therefore accumulated energy for further development. In face of the new century which will afford opportunities and challenges, Shanghai has set strategic targets for long-term development oriented to the 21st century: to lay the foundation for turning Shanghai into an international economic, financial and trade center by the year 2010; to basically turn the Pudong New Development Area into an export-oriented, multi-function and modern new development zone meeting the advanced international standards; and to initially define the status of Shanghai as an international economic center.