政府新闻
徐汇区GDP、外商投资总部数量均居上海中心城区之首 2025-10-16
The West Bund waterfront in Xuhui
Xuhui District has experienced robust economic growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), outperforming other downtown districts in Shanghai across key metrics including GDP, foreign company headquarters, and industrial output, according to data released during a city government briefing on Thursday.
Xuhui's gross domestic product has more than doubled during this period and is expected to surpass 400 billion yuan (US$55 billion) this year. Additionally, the district's per capita GDP also doubled, achieving "historic progress" in terms of both economic scale and quality, officials said.
The rapid transition to advanced industries has significantly altered the economy of Xuhui. Among downtown districts, the value of large-scale industrial output was the highest.
The service industry experienced an annual growth rate of 10.2 percent, while the output from each of the four pillar sectors – digital economy, life and health, culture and creativity, and tech-driven finance – was approximately 100 billion yuan. The expansion of emerging industries, including green technology and smart devices, is accelerating.
Currently, Xuhui is home to 174 multinational regional headquarters and foreign R&D centers, the highest number among downtown districts.
Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center
Xuhui has become a key hub for China's artificial intelligence development.
In 2023, the district built the country's first large model innovation community, called the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, in only 38 days.
The center now hosts more than 1,500 AI enterprises, including 755 large-model firms and 62 registered large models, accounting for 61 percent of Shanghai's total.
The AI industry's total output has reached 100 billion yuan, supported by strong local infrastructure, data resources, and venture funding.
Xuhui Party Secretary Cao Liqiang said the district focused on three areas during the period: scientific innovation, real-world applications, and ecosystem support.
The district has partnered with leading research institutions such as Shanghai AI Laboratory, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to promote original research and commercialization.
It also works with newer institutes such as the Shanghai Innovation Institute, founded in 2024 in Beiyang AI Town, which integrates education, science, and talent development reform.
A forum at the MiraclePlus Shanghai Alumni Center in XuhuiFive of Shanghai's major foundational AI models were created in Xuhui, Cao said.
AI applications now extend to manufacturing, tourism, education, and governance, supported by national-level AI investment funds totaling more than 100 billion yuan.
A highlight of Xuhui's innovation drive is the MiraclePlus Shanghai Alumni Center, one of the district's first high-quality incubators, which focuses on AI and other frontier technologies.
The center has already incubated over 60 startups, of which 40 have launched products reaching markets in Europe and the United States.
More than 70 percent of the incubated companies' core teams hold master's or doctoral degrees, and about 80 overseas AI specialists have joined through the program.
The MiraclePlus Shanghai Alumni Center in XuhuiOver the past five years, Xuhui has also upgraded its urban functions through five key zones – Xujiahui, West Bund, Xuhui Midtown, Caohejing, and Huajing.
Urban renewal projects covered 44 percent of the district's total area, with 108 redevelopment projects and 21 million square meters of construction completed or underway.
The West Bund waterfront has become a cultural landmark, home to venues such as Dream Center, West Bund Grand Theater, and West Bund International Expo Center.
Cao said the district has also linked financial growth directly to improving residents' welfare. Social spending has doubled since the 13th Five-Year Plan.
Renovations to old housing benefited more than 210,000 households, and aging buildings saw the addition of 1,330 elevators – the most in the city for three consecutive years.
Cao said Xuhui will continue to strengthen its economy, highlight its cultural identity, and improve public services in the next five-year plan.
The goal is to build an "innovative, high-quality Xuhui" that serves as a model urban district for Shanghai's development as a world-class city, said Cao.
The public bazaar at the renovated Wannan No. 6 Community in Xuhui.Source: Shanghai Daily
