This year, the topic of "three trillion" milestones in urban development has garnered significant attention. By 2025, Beijing's total economic output has surpassed the 5 trillion yuan mark for the first time. Wenzhou in Zhejiang and Dalian in Liaoning have joined the ranks of cities with a gross regional product exceeding one trillion yuan. Additionally, Nanshan District in Shenzhen, Guangdong, has become the first district-level administrative region in China to achieve an economic output of over one trillion yuan. These achievements—a "trillion-metropolis," "trillion-cities," and a "trillion-district"—reflect a coordinated pattern of regional development and illustrate the resilient growth of the Chinese economy amidst complex conditions. Cities making this "striving leap" have become powerful engines for China's high-quality economic development.
As more cities ascend to higher economic tiers, it prompts reflection: how should cities, having reached substantial economic scale, continue to pursue progress? Where does future potential lie? For cities at these elevated levels, creating a "second curve" of development is a crucial challenge. It is essential to build new strengths while leveraging existing advantages. For instance, Shenzhen, with its early start and dense concentration of enterprises in the low-altitude industry, is fully competing in this new sector. In 2025, the added value of Shenzhen's low-altitude economy and aerospace industry cluster reached 35.061 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 31%. Xi'an in Shaanxi, benefiting from a strong foundation in new materials, focuses on industrial chain synergy. By adopting a "common origin, shared chain" model, the new materials industry drives the collaborative development of multiple industrial clusters. Developing new quality productive forces based on local characteristics and cultivating new industries and动能 are vital for pushing urban development to new heights.
A larger economic scale necessitates a broader, more holistic perspective, using regional coordination to expand development space. Rapid economic growth and large scale can inevitably lead to a siphon effect on surrounding cities; coordinated regional development is the solution. In the Yangtze River Delta, a "4-hour industrial circle" for robotics is rapidly taking shape, with controllers developed in Shanghai, servo motors from Zhejiang, reducers from Jiangsu, and casings from Anhui. By leveraging their respective strengths and coordinating development, the three provinces and one municipality have achieved 100% localization of core components for robots, an overall domestic production rate of 94%, and a cost reduction of 40%. Expanding the economic "pie" creates a win-win situation where no party is disadvantaged.
The ultimate goal of economic development is to enhance people's welfare and achieve comprehensive human development. From daily necessities to clothing, food, housing, and transportation, the continually rising economic scale must ultimately be reflected in the improving quality of life for the public. The renovation of old residential communities, which impacts the happiness of millions of households, represents a significant investment opportunity. The transition from basic "elderly care" to "enjoyable aging," making "support for the aged, purpose in old age, and joy in later life" a reality, is fostering a vast consumer market. Pursuing development aims to benefit livelihoods, and improvements in people's livelihoods, in turn, continuously unleash domestic demand potential, injecting strong momentum into urban development. By steadily strengthening the social safety net in areas such as employment, housing, education, healthcare, and elderly care, and addressing the "key small matters" that concern the public, cities can become filled with tangible warmth, achieving resonance between urban advancement and the people's aspirations for happiness.
The "three trillion" milestones demonstrate the immense potential of the Chinese economy and reflect the diverse prospects of Chinese modernization. As the 15th Five-Year Plan period begins, there is anticipation for more cities to strive for higher goals and embrace innovation, collectively moving towards a promising future of high-quality development.