经济新闻
全国人大代表：上海乡村不应只是“配角” 2026-03-08
A grassroots official from Shanghai's rural periphery has called for a fundamental reimagining of urban-rural relations, arguing that villages in China's largest city should no longer serve as mere "supporting actors" to urban development but rather as integral components of the municipality's core functions.
Zhang Yimin, Party secretary of Lusheng Village in Shanghai's Minhang District, made the appeal during the open session of the Shanghai delegation at the National People's Congress, where he described rural areas as "scarce and irreplaceable resources" rather than passive recipients of urban spillover.
"As a grassroots representative from Shanghai's countryside, I've deeply felt the earth-shaking changes in rural areas in the past decade," Zhang told media. "But we should think about how to ensure villages are no longer 'supporting actors' behind the city."
Breaking spatial barriers
Zhang outlined what he termed three "breakthroughs" necessary for Shanghai's rural revitalization, beginning with eliminating the urban-rural planning dichotomy. He argued that Shanghai's villages should function not merely as agricultural production zones but as ecological barriers, leisure spaces for urban residents, and cultural heritage carriers.
"In planning, we cannot simply view villages as marginal zones passively receiving urban radiation," he said. "We must treat them as scarce and irreplaceable resources."
The deputy called for accelerating infrastructure convergence, pushing 5G networks and piped natural gas into remote villages – particularly in preserved traditional villages where internal connectivity remains inadequate.
Unlocking rural assets
On economic development, Zhang emphasized that the essence of urban-rural integration lies in the free flow of production factors. He cited underutilized collective construction land and vacant rural homesteads in his own Pujin Street jurisdiction as examples of "sleeping resources" awaiting activation.
Zhang, who last year submitted recommendations on accelerating policy frameworks for rural collective construction land entering the market, noted that pilot programs in Pudong New Area and Fengxian District have already begun converting idle homesteads into "science innovation courtyards," "headquarters manors," and talent apartments.
However, he stressed the need to speed up the transition from "tile economy" – simple rental income – to "service economy" and "cooperative economy" through professional village-wide operation models. He advocated establishing "enterprise plus village collective plus villagers" profit-sharing mechanisms allowing residents to receive dividends beyond mere rent.
Agricultural upgrades
Despite Shanghai's relatively small agricultural footprint, Zhang argued the city must produce "the finest of fine products" through technological advantages. He called for increased central fiscal support for high-standard farmland, modern facility agriculture, and cold-chain logistics, alongside reforms to grassroots agricultural technology extension systems using digital tools.
He also highlighted the role of regional platforms like the G60 Science and Innovation Corridor and Shanghai-Nanjing industrial belt in transforming agriculture from "sky-dependent traditional industry" into "high-value-added, high-tech strategic industry."
Closing the gap
Addressing persistent income and service disparities between urban and rural residents, Zhang proposed "work-relief" programs to boost wage income, strengthened "one village, one product" initiatives to enhance operating income, and reform of collective economic benefit distribution mechanisms.
On public services, he pushed for expanded coverage of community canteens for elderly residents and deeper integration of community health centers with village clinics.
"Exploring new paths for agricultural and rural modernization in megacities has no existing template to copy," Zhang concluded. "But Shanghai has the foundation, the responsibility, and the confidence to serve as a pioneer for the nation."
Source: City News Service
