Chapter 10 Chapter 8 Shockwave of Pudong Development

In April 1990, my father called me and told me: Pudong is about to be developed, and our Suzhou will be even more remarkable. Pudong?What does the development of Pudong have to do with my hometown Suzhou? We are so close to Shanghai, and Pudong will become "Shenzhen", so we will get rich together!At that time, I felt that my father, who was far away from the political center, was inseparable from the essence of "countryman" in his consciousness.But this time I underestimated my father, and even more underestimated the Suzhou folks’ understanding of Pudong. I have known Pudong since I was a teenager.But it's a scary place for me.I once lost my heart in its embrace...

It was a winter day in the early 1970s. I was in middle school, and during the winter vacation to earn work points for the production team, I once again rowed with the adults to Shanghai to transport ammonia.The three-ton small wooden boat was going to cross the Huangpu River. It was the first time I saw such a wide and fast-flowing Huangpu River. Adults row the oars—in fact, when sailing on the Huangpu River, you can only go with the flow.Our small boat was like a floating bamboo leaf in the river. Later, when a steam ship passed by, our small boat lost control and fell along with the bumps. "It's in the water! It's in the water, run for your life—" Suddenly, when the captain of the ship's militia company screamed, grabbed me by the back collar, and jumped into the river together... When my soul was broken, I subconsciously I opened my hands and paddled on the piercing river, and then vaguely saw a lifeboat coming towards me... When I woke up, I found myself thrown on a mudflat.I don't know where it is, but on the opposite side of the river is the Gothic customs bell tower I've seen before.The adults later told me: The mudflat where I survived was Lujiazui in Pudong.Now that place is the International Conference Center, not far from it is today's "Pearl of the Orient" and the crystal-clear Jinmao Tower that soars into the sky.

A few years later, when I was passing through Shanghai on my way home from my first visit to relatives in the army, I went to the Bund on purpose. Across the Huangpu River, I saw that Lujiazui on the other side of the river was still a piece of farmland and some dilapidated houses. However, a few years later, when I stood on the Bund and looked at Lujiazui on the other side, I was horrified: that place that once terrified me turned out to be another Chinese "Manhattan"! The development history of Pudong was rapidly advanced and set off with the "coming and going" of two contemporary giants in Shanghai-Deng Xiaoping came and Jiang Zemin went.

Jiang Zemin first came to Shanghai from Beijing.When he was the mayor of Shanghai, he took over the trust of the old mayor Wang Daohan and began to plan the general plan of "Pudong development". In 1987, another senior official came to Beijing, and he was Zhu Rongji, who later served as mayor of Shanghai.Jiang Zemin, Zhu Rongji partnered with the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government to promote the development of Pudong is historic. In the middle of 1989, Jiang Zemin went northward to take up the post of China's top leader, and Pudong's development gained a huge impetus.However, the most important figure in promoting the development of Pudong was Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of China's modernization.

On April 18, 1990, a piece of news in Greater Shanghai shocked Suzhou people who were close at hand: Another special zone in China—the Pudong Development Zone was officially established. At that time, the whole country was envious of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in the south, and no one could compare with it - the development there was changing rapidly.At that time, if you went to Shenzhen once, you had to go to the public security department to apply for a "special zone pass", which was as exciting as going abroad. "If we can open up like Shenzhen, it will really be a paradise!" Every Suzhou native who has been to Shenzhen has secretly sighed how many times.

Now Pudong will become the second "Shenzhen"!Doesn't it mean that we are really going to heaven soon? Suzhou people envy Shenzhen, but some are far away.Now that Pudong in Shanghai is going to become a "special zone", that's the right time and place!People in Suzhou are as excited as people in Shanghai when they hear the sound of bulldozers being developed in Pudong, and their hearts beat as fast as a running deer. They were excited: the blessing of God has finally arrived. They are calculating, calculating the influence of the "magnetic field" brought to them by the development of Pudong...

In short, the people of Suzhou are both excited and excited, and quietly observe every subtle action in Pudong, Shanghai, and take advantage of the opportunity... Shanghai development is late!Try to keep up! During the Spring Festival of 1991, Deng Xiaoping celebrated the Spring Festival in Shanghai. What he said to Zhu Rongji at the revolving restaurant on the 41st floor of the New Jin Jiang Hotel that day quickly reached the ears of Suzhou people.In a few days, Deng Xiaoping's other more important words quickly spread to Suzhou people—— "The four special economic zones were determined that year, mainly because of geographical considerations. Shenzhen is adjacent to Hong Kong, Zhuhai is close to Macau, Shantou is because there are many people from Chaozhou in Southeast Asian countries, and Xiamen is because there are many people from southern Hokkien doing business abroad, but they did not take into account Shanghai's advantages in terms of talents. Shanghai people are smart and have good quality. If it was determined to set up a special economic zone in Shanghai at that time, it would not be like this now. There are 14 coastal open cities in Shanghai, but that is generalized. If Pudong is like Shenzhen Like a special economic zone, it would have been better to develop it a few years ago. The development of Pudong will have a great impact. It is not just a problem of Pudong, but a problem related to the development of Shanghai. It is a problem of using Shanghai as a base to develop the Yangtze River Delta and the Yangtze River Basin. Grasp Pudong Develop, don't waver, until it's built..."

Listen, Xiaoping is in a hurry!Pudong will also become the second Shenzhen! We are the closest to Shanghai, and the development of Pudong is a huge opportunity for us in Suzhou.This time we must catch it! In the ancient city of Suzhou, the cadres were discussing enthusiastically, and their hearts were agitated, as if Deng Xiaoping's words were addressed to them: don't waver, hurry up and develop! If Pudong is to become the second Shenzhen, our Suzhou will be the first Shenzhen in Jiangsu.At that time, in the minds of mainlanders, Shenzhen was a model of reform and opening up, a model of a modern society, and the goal of the people's prosperity.When looking for new development points in an economically developed inland area like Suzhou, Shenzhen is undoubtedly the best example to learn from.Under the traditional socialist thinking at that time, Shenzhen was mostly "capitalist".Now with Deng Xiaoping, Shanghai Pudong can also build a special zone like Shenzhen. Doesn't this mean that socialism with "Chinese characteristics" is completely implemented? !

Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee in 1978, the wave of China's reform and opening up has been higher and higher.The development of Pudong should be regarded as a surging tide.Needless to say, the development of Pudong has the greatest impact and opportunity on Suzhou. It is necessary to explain: before the development of Pudong, the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government had already paid great attention to the development of an export-oriented economy in the mid-to-late 1980s, and it was fruitful.The rise of Kunshan and Zhangjiagang is the best proof.It’s just that the export-oriented economy at this stage is in the initial stage of attracting capital and joint ventures, while the obvious feature of the export-oriented economy of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone is to build a comprehensive export-oriented economy in a certain scale of the region, which is the so-called “special zone” .

The state has strict regulations on the construction of "special zone", which is actually a new division of administrative regions.This has to be approved by the State Council.The undeveloped "virgin land" in Pudong is only separated from Shanghai by a river, and on the east is adjacent to the East China Sea, which leads to the five continents and four seas. The development space is vast and the price is low. How to play "My Li Suzhou"?In fact, the ancient city of Suzhou, built more than 2,500 years ago, is just a city with "forty miles and two hundred and ten steps around, and sixty-eight miles and sixty steps outside". Helu City", but compared to modern metropolises, the ancient city of Suzhou can only be regarded as a small city.After entering the 1980s, Suzhou people, under the wave of reform in China, saw Shenzhen built on the barren beach in the south, and saw the sky-high buildings and bridges across the river in the big Shanghai next to it, not to mention The well-connected subways and cobweb-like urban high-speed ring roads like Beijing are the flourishing development of her "people" - Changshu, Kunshan, Zhangjiagang and their own "five tiger cubs", which have also made the ancient city of Suzhou more and more people. Feel the pressure.The alley hawking on Guanqian Street and the tourist ticket income of Huqiu are certainly something to be proud of, but the small bridges and flowing water do not have the surging passion and momentum of the big rivers and seas after all.Especially with the tide of the global economy, countless regions and cities that were insignificant in the past can surpass the entire development history of an ancient city like Suzhou in just a few years.This ever-changing historical trend has made Suzhou people, who have always been mild-natured, feel an unprecedented shock—what is the way out for Suzhou?

Should Suzhou keep its original ancient city culture and economy forever—the kind of self-satisfaction like small bridges and flowing water, or keep up with the development trend of the world and rebuild Suzhou New City? This is a big topic for Suzhou people and Suzhou leaders.Whoever dares to solve this problem may be the hero of history, and he may also be the sinner of history.Because, as early as the 1980s, the State Council had a special document on the protection of the historical features of the ancient city of Suzhou.It is not impossible to make a fuss in the ancient city, but can you not only protect the style and appearance of the ancient city, but also allow people to let go of their hands and feet to engage in modern economy?Such an article may not have been produced by an extraordinary genius anyway. Suzhou people have been troubled for a long time.Before the development of Pudong, no one thought about making a big fuss in Suzhou, at least they should not let their "citizens" such as Changshu, Zhangjiagang, and Wujiang look down upon them!Moreover, since Wu Zixu built Gusu City for more than 2,500 years, Suzhou people have always had a natural sense of superiority, thinking that only they are the real "people in heaven", and they have indeed nourished too much heavenly nutrients— — Various nutrients of culture, history, and scenery.But this natural sense of superiority began in the 1980s. With the surging tide of reform and opening up and great changes outside the ancient city, people in Suzhou felt the pressure and a sense of reality. Really lagging behind, feeling the kind of panic after losing the advantage of heaven... Because—the space in the ancient city is limited, and if it is built as a dojo, even if all the eminent monks in the world are invited, they can only recite old scriptures, and there is no elegant hall for the world to pay attention to.Shenzhen can build a world-class new city on the wasteland. Greater Shanghai has the boundless and vast space of Pudong. Even the "people" of Changshu, Wujiang, Zhangjiagang, and Kunshan have space for development and development that is several times or dozens of times larger than the ancient city of Suzhou. Development! The pressure and panic of Suzhou people stem from the constraints and restrictions of the ancient city. A way must be found!A new Suzhou must be rebuilt! At this time, Gao De was being transferred to the province, and a new and elegant secretary of the municipal party committee came to Suzhou. He was Comrade Wang Minsheng. Wang Minsheng was the Commissioner of Zhenjiang District before he became Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee. In fact, he is a veteran "Suzhou fellow". Before 1975, Wuxi County was under the jurisdiction of the Suzhou area, and he was the Secretary of the Wuxi County Party Committee.During the great development of township enterprises, Wuxi County was once known as "the first county in China", and its economic aggregate and comprehensive strength ranked first among county-level units in the country. In 1989, Wang Minsheng was appointed Secretary of Suzhou Municipal Party Committee.At that time, Suzhou, like the whole country, was in a special period, and cadres were panicked and afraid to do things.While obeying the political needs of "stability over everything else", Wang Minsheng put forward the idea of ​​"seeking progress while maintaining stability" for Suzhou's development, which later proved to be very wise and important. One day in August 2008, I interviewed old secretary Wang Minsheng in a quaint courtyard in the ancient city of Suzhou.Speaking Wu, he recalled the social situation in Suzhou at that time: "When I went to the guest house, I couldn't see anyone. Everyone was very nervous and did not dare to receive foreigners or their own people who came to discuss business. The cadres all had a ' Afraid of 'words'. Afraid of talking about business. Development is considered to be corrupt, crooked and unhealthy. I ask the municipal party committee to call on cadres to correctly understand the documents of the 'two highs' (high courts and high inspections). Comrades came forward to speak, let the cadres correctly understand and distinguish the essential difference between normal exchanges in the reform and opening up, crooked ways, corruption, and unhealthy trends, especially what is law and discipline, and what is corruption, so that the majority The cadres have re-established their confidence in the Party and reform and opening up. At the same time, we have set up several models, such as Shengze Town in Wujiang and Yangshe Town in Zhangjiagang, etc., insisting on the ten benefits of developing township enterprises... These are all important At that time, it played a key role in consolidating and promoting Suzhou’s economy.” "In 1991, a catastrophic flood hit our Suzhou. General Secretary Jiang Zemin also visited the flood relief site in Suzhou. However, even in the year when serious natural disasters occurred, Suzhou's economy was still very good. In 1992, the official document of Deng Xiaoping's speech on the Southern Tour When I didn’t come down, I asked people to go to the provincial party committee in Nanjing to get a copy and bring it back to the cadres in time. The more everyone learned Deng Xiaoping’s speech, the brighter their hearts became, and their motivation also came. They all expressed that Suzhou should not lag behind this wave of big news. The wave of development. So we looked for the carrier of development. This carrier is what we Suzhou people often call a "new Suzhou" and a "foreign Suzhou", that is, the high-tech park on the west side of the ancient city and the industrial park on the east side of the ancient city. Suzhou's ten Several years of soaring, in a sense, is the picturesque ancient city of old Suzhou full of historical and cultural charm, and the "new Suzhou" and "foreign Suzhou" on both sides fly high..." On the hot land of Suzhou Wang Minsheng, who has worked for 34 years, recalled the passionate years, and finally said, "My municipal party committee completed the historical transformation process of the economic model from the inside to the outside. Now it seems that we did the right thing at that time." Comrade Wang Minsheng, who has always been peaceful and humble, is right.His Suzhou Municipal Party Committee not only did it right, but judging from the current facts, it can be said that it did a very good job!Because today’s Suzhou, without the support and support of the east and west parks, the development of the small and quiet Gusu city would be unimaginable in today’s rapid global economy. To understand the overall picture of Suzhou's urban economy, one must first understand the "New Suzhou" that Suzhou people are proud of.