Yangtze River Delta races ahead as integration model

The projects include adding 660 km of rail and more than 70,000 new public charging piles in the region. More than 200 virtual government service points will also be launched in 41 major cities across the region.

Over 300 elderly care venues for seniors will be developed across the region. An all-in-one card will be made available, enabling the card-holder to visit 3,000 cultural and tourism venues including libraries, museums and scenic spots, as well as fitness complexes.

Measures will also be taken to continue ensuring the safety and quality of food products such as rice, flour, oil, meat, eggs and milk.

The list also covers medical insurance and construction in the countryside. In addition, it grants eligible foreigners a visa-free period of 144 hours, or six days, as long as they are transiting through cities across the Yangtze River Delta region, added Chen.

Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, said: "Focused on the thoughts and expectations of the people, efforts will be made to make cross-provincial government services more convenient, strengthen collaboration on education, medical care, and elderly care across the region, deepen ecological environmental protection through regional collaboration, and promote the integrated development of culture, sports, business and tourism in the region."

"We will work together with Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui to accelerate construction in the Yangtze River Delta of rail, amplify and elevate the effects of the metropolitan cluster, and deepen public service convenience, so as to continuously enhance people's livelihood and happiness."