Completed in 2014, the center, which is shaped like a four-leaf clover, became the world's largest single-building exhibition center and home to numerous influential events, including the China International Import Expo. The area was now not only a transportation hub, but a business, exhibitions and conventions venue.

Chen Yin, vice-mayor of Shanghai, said, "The Hongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone, established in the 1980s, was 'the Hongqiao for Changning district', and the Hongqiao Central Business District was 'the Hongqiao for Shanghai'."

According to the new plan, the Hongqiao International Hub will include the Hongqiao Central Business District and two extended strips－one running north to Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu, and the other running south to Haining, Zhejiang.

"The plan has become an important vehicle for carrying out the national strategy of Yangtze River delta integration－it's 'the Hongqiao for the Delta'," Chen said.

Cities supported

Tang Lizhu, chief industrial analyst at the Shanghai ZhongChuang Institute for Industry & Innovation, said export-oriented industries have been developed in the extended hub area since the 1990s, and the area's combined GDP amounts to 2.3 trillion yuan ($350 billion), nearly 10 percent of the delta's total.

The plan includes government support for the area cities of Jiading, Kunshan and Taicang to further develop industrial chains for automobiles, smart manufacturing and new materials. Construction of an international innovation park for internet technology will be pushed forward in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, and pilot zones will be considered in Suzhou, Jiangsu, for internet of vehicles and blockchain technologies.