Currently, I am touring China to cover the 18th National
Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which will usher in the
change in the civilian leadership hierarchy at its conclusion.
The
last party changes were seen at the 16th Party Congress in 2002, when
Hu Jintao took over as Party Chief and thereafter in 2003 as President
of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Commencing on November 8, the
Congress will review the party’s work over the past five years as well
as what it has implemented, since the 16th CPC National Congress.
In
my next article, an eyewitness account will be presented after the
inauguration of the Congress. However, this piece is dedicated to
Shanghai, a city I had longed to explore for decades.
It is a
unique experience, since Shanghai resembles most of the modern western
metropolis and reminds one of “The Big Apple” - New York - with its
towering skyscrapers, elegant bridges and contemporary architecture,
except that it is cleaner. It boasts of some of the tallest buildings in
the world, with distinctive space-age structural designs. Since it is
inhabited by a cosmopolitan mix of races, it is heartening to see that
some of the ancient-style structures have been retained - for example,
the French, Soviet, German and British.
It has changed many hands
owing to its strategic location, as a trading, commercial and
industrial centre. The British forces occupied Shanghai after their
victory in the First Opium War (1839–1842). The Treaty of Nanjing (1842)
allowed them to dictate opening the treaty ports, including Shanghai
for international trade. The Treaty of Bogue (1843) and the Treaty of
Wanghia (1844) forced Chinese concession to European and American
desires for visitation and trade on Chinese soil. Britain, France, and
the US all carved out concessions for themselves and have left their
distinctive mark on the city.
The 1920s and 1930s witnessed the
exodus of almost 30,000 Russians and Russian Jews, who fled Soviet Union
to take up residence in Shanghai. Japan conquered mainland China after
defeating it during the Sino-Japanese War (1937) and built the first
factories in Shanghai that were soon followed by other foreign powers,
making it the most important financial centre in the Far East. All this
international activity gave Shanghai the nickname “the Great Athens of
China”. Some people call Shanghai the “Paris of the East”; however to
me, it reminds of New York.
After the advent of PRC in 1949, most
foreign traders moved to Hong Kong. But the CPC honoured the venue of
its birthplace, as its first National Congress was convened in Shanghai
on July 23, 1921.
Taking cognisance of the importance of this
trading and commercial centre, the CPC provided it the impetus to become
a flourishing megalopolis. It has been rightly described as the
“showpiece” of the booming economy of PRC.
A lot of thought went
into the selection of the design for the emblem of Shanghai that
comprises a triangle, encompassing a white magnolia flower, a large junk
and a propeller. Since the white magnolia is among the few spring
heralding flowers in the Shanghai area, has large white petals, delicate
fragrance and its eye always looks towards the sky, it was prudently
adopted as the city flower to personify the pioneering vitality and
enterprising spirit of the city.
On the emblem, the large junk -
one of the oldest vessels plying the Shanghai harbour - depicts the long
history of the port, while the propeller symbolises the continuous
advancement of the city.
Shanghai boasts of being one of the
fastest developing cities in the world. Since 1992, it has recorded
double-digit growth almost every year, except during the global
recession of 2008 and 2009. In 2011, its total GDP grew to 1.92 trillion
yuan ($297 billion) with GDP per capita of 82,560 yuan ($12,784).
Shanghai
has one of the best education systems in China. It is the first city in
the country to implement nine-year mandatory education.
The
Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) was founded in 1990; its membership
institution being directly governed by the China Regulatory Commission,
the SSE has 931 companies on its list, with a total market
capitalisation of RMB 14, 837.622 billion.
It is China’s national
strategy to transform Shanghai into a leading international financial
centre by 2020. The hubbub of financial activity and rapid development
projects bear witness to this endeavour.
The writer is a political and defence analyst. Email: sultanm.hali@gmail.com