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Shanghai has long served as the international gateway to China. As
a center of economy, finance and international trade, Shanghai has
led many of the reform efforts underway in China, and this reputation
has resulted in a steady growth in the metropolitan area. Shanghai's
growing population, and the continued growth of foreign investment
in the Yangtze River delta area, has placed a growing pressure on
the city's infrastructure, particularly its transportation systems.
 During
1997, China Development Bank began providing funding to the construction
of the new Shanghai Pudong International Airport. This airport co-vers
40 square kilometers, and will handle over 126,000 flights and 20
million passengers annually when fully developed. Then Bank contributed
approximately RMB 3 billion toward the first phase of this project,
which was completed and opened for public use in September 1999.
The project is expected to generate over RMB 22 billion in revenues
annually which will further promote the development of international
trade and finance in the region, keeping Shanghai at the forefront
of China's economic development. |
