On December 3, the China-Laos railway officially started operation. As a flagship project of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Laos, and a landmark project of building "the Belt and Road" with high quality, this railway involves many Chinese technologies, which also contains "Shanghai wisdom", including the "central nervous system" of the train - the communication signal system, the "brain" - the track system of automatic train switching and the management system.

Talent cultivation is also included. In 2017, with the support of the LMC Special Fund and the Shanghai Municipal Government, Shanghai Institute of Technology signed a memorandum of educational cooperation with Souphanouvong University in Laos to train local their railway engineering talents for Laos. First nine Laotian students joined the first batch of engineers and technicians of the China-Laos Railway after graduation in 2021.

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, especially the past 30 years of Pudong development and opening up, Shanghai has absorbed a lot of new ideas and experiences from the world. Shanghai has developed itself by pooling wisdom of the world, from the initial urban construction planning, capital raising methods, urban management and operation to various innovations in economic construction, business environment optimization and talent utilization. The Shanghai Mayor International Entrepreneurs' Consultation Conference alone has been held for more than 30 years. Since the late 1980s, it has been held annually to solicit opinions and suggestions on the work priorities of Shanghai. The wisdom of international entrepreneurs has played a unique role in the urban development of Shanghai.

Since the development and opening up of Pudong, Shanghai has undergone profound economic and social changes and made great achievements. However, Shanghai is still learning from the world. Benchmarking with the highest international standards and best levels has become a new pursuit for Shanghai.

On November 25, 2020, the 10th Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee deliberated and approved the proposal on formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan of Shanghai's National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, in which a distinct and prominent point is opening up: making every effort to build a new highland for reform and opening up, and building a new open economic system at a higher level. By 2035, Shanghai will have fully upgraded its functions as an international center of economy, finance, trade, shipping, scientific and technological innovation and a cultural metropolis, and become an important window and urban benchmark for the construction of a modern socialist country.

The process of reaching this goal will continue to be a process of Shanghai learning from the world. Just a few days ago, the laboratory building of the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute was put into use, ushering in another high-end research institution in Zhangjiang, Pudong, and a large number of international talents will start new research and exploration in Shanghai.

However, the opening up of Shanghai today is significantly different from that of more than 30 years ago: the opening up over 30 years ago was to solve the problem of "whether there is", but now it is to solve the problem of "whether it is good" and "whether it is excellent". A more striking shift is that while in the past there was more learning and less sharing, now there is both learning and sharing. Such sharing is not only about products and technologies, but also about wisdom and experience.

In July this year, the Pudong New Area of Shanghai was entrusted with the major task of building itself into a leading area for socialist modernization through high-level reform and opening-up. This means that Shanghai should not only learn and absorb advanced experience and ideas from the world, but also develop new experience and new methods that can lead the way. Only the Shanghai wisdom can be shared is the value of a leading area.

For example, Shanghai's education experience. Having twice taken part in PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) tests and won by a significant margin in the subject of mathematics, Shanghai's basic education has been pushed to the forefront internationally and has successfully shared its mathematics pedagogy with some 8,000 elementary schools in the UK. Education delegations from the US, Japan, UK and France have visited Shanghai to explore the secrets of basic education in Shanghai.

Another example is the prevention and control of COVID-19. The scene of nucleic acid testing under fireworks in Shanghai Disneyland left a deep impression. The precise prevention and control initiatives that both strictly prevent the epidemic and ensure stable economic operation have become a vivid reflection of Shanghai wisdom in fighting COVID-19.

There is also the concept of "accessing more government services via a single website (Integrated Online Platform)". Because of this concept, Shanghai launched the health code at the most difficult moment in the fight against the outbreak, so that every citizen has a health pass. This concept has also been rapidly replicated and scaled up both at home and abroad, providing strong support for the proper functioning of the economy and society. What's more, the concept continues to improve, and on November 30, Shanghai launched the "assistance system" as another new initiative to serve the public.

In the process of opening up, Shanghai will continue to learn, absorb, and form its unique wisdom and ideas. Furthermore, Shanghai will make new contributions to the world.

By: Xie Weiqun, People's Daily