Officials from Huaqiao International Service Business Park visited Shanghai’s Changning district last Saturday to learn more about the development of an economic hub.

They praised the construction of Hongqiao’s communication networks and expressed the desire to work with Changning district in the future.

The officials took a tour of the Shanghai World Trade Mall, which consists of three parts – an international shopping center, a creative industry and a textile & apparel industry. 49 projects are currently operating in the international shopping center, whose revenue amounted to 23 billion dollars in 2008.

The officials took a tour of the Shanghai World Trade Mall.

The officials, who visited Changning district, included Director of the managing committee of Huaqiao economic development zone Ren Xueyuan and Vice Directors Shen Huafei, Zhang Jianwen, Tang Naixin, Cheng Wenrong as well as other officials from various departments.

The Changning district has developed rapidly thanks to the Shanghai Hongqiao Development Zone and the Hongqiao International Airport. With the modern service industry as its mainstay, the Changning district succeeded in overcoming the international financial crisis.

With plans first laid out in1979 and construction beginning in 1983, the Shanghai Hongqiao Development Zone is China's exclusive newly developed commercial and business area characteristic of foreign trade and featuring exhibition facilities, display areas, offices, residential homes, catering and shopping.

Hongqiao International Airport is situated in the western outskirts of Shanghai, about 13 kilometers (about 8 miles) from downtown area and more than 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from Pudong International Airport.

In 2008, Hongqiao airport processed 22,877,404 passengers, making it the fourth busiest airport in the People’s Republic of China. The airport was also the 5th busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic and the 6th busiest airport by traffic movements.

By Xie Fang