Quality of life to drive Shanghai's development approach

People's desire for a better life will remain as Shanghai's main goal for development, according to a proposal for the city's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and its development goals for 2035 released by policymakers on Thursday.

Multilayer public services and an environment for residents to live happily and with more dignity will be provided to realize such goals, according to the proposal.

The city will aim to provide a more complete social security system and ensure that its education, human resource and healthcare levels are close to the standards of global cities.

In terms of health, the proposal stated that the city will accelerate the expansion of high-quality medical resources, while high-level, research-oriented medical institutions will be constructed to strengthen health service levels.

Shanghai previously said that it aimed to become one of the world's safest cities in terms of public health, with strong capabilities in responding to major epidemics and public health emergencies, by 2025.

The proposal also mentioned that, in terms of the natural environment, Shanghai will continue to make efforts to reduce the total discharge of major pollutants, encourage the adoption of a green and low-carbon lifestyle, and have 1,000 parks.