Why has the "tale of two cities" in the coastal provincial giants expanded?
Recently, the fourth municipal-level joint meeting on the "Tale of Two Cities" between Hangzhou and Ningbo was held in Ningbo. What's significantly different from before is that Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing jointly held this municipal-level joint meeting for the first time.
At the meeting, Hangzhou and Shaoxing signed the "Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement on Deepening Urban Integration and Development", setting the goal of "jointly creating a new model of urban integration in the bay area and a new prototype of future cities". A few months ago, Ningbo and Shaoxing also just signed the "Cooperation Framework Agreement on Promoting a New High - ground for Innovation Cooperation and High - quality Integrated Development", clarifying the positioning of "jointly creating a new high - ground for innovation cooperation in the world - class bay area".
This also means that the "Tale of Two Cities" between Hangzhou and Ningbo has witnessed substantial expansion. On the economic map of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou and Ningbo, the two major economic poles in the east and west respectively, shine brightly. Shaoxing between them is like a "golden pole" connecting Hangzhou and Ningbo, and has become a key support for the province's development in the process of integrated development.
"Against the backdrop of regional integration, it's difficult for any single city to achieve significant development. These three cities (Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo) can leverage each other's strengths and give full play to their respective comparative advantages. There's great hope in building the Hangzhou - Shaoxing - Ningbo urban belt," Sun Bindong, the director and professor of the China Administrative Division Research Center at East China Normal University, analyzed to "Urban Evolution".
What kind of chemical reaction will occur when the "golden pole" of Shaoxing accelerates its integration into the two cities? And how can they jointly build a "world - class bay area"?
01 "Stickiness"
In the national regional map, there are "Tales of Two Cities" patterns in many provinces. Similar scenarios can be seen in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Nanjing and Suzhou, Jinan and Qingdao, as well as Hangzhou and Ningbo. In terms of specific development, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are undoubtedly an ideal model: the status of the two cities has been continuously rising, and their radiation radii are seamlessly connected in Nansha.
In contrast, the radiation radii of Hangzhou and Ningbo both stop at Shaoxing in the middle.
Three years ago, the Ningbo Commerce Commission wrote in an article that Hangzhou's radiation radius basically reaches Zhuji in Shaoxing, while Ningbo's radiation radius covers Shangyu, Xinchang, and Shengzhou in Shaoxing, with no obvious overlap between the two. In addition, there's also no obvious cross - radiation of industries from Hangzhou and Ningbo to the surrounding areas.
Obviously, Shaoxing is the key to "sewing up" the radiation radii of the two core cities.
Schematic diagram of the geographical locations of Shaoxing, Hangzhou, and Ningbo. Image source: "Zhejiang Provincial Territorial Spatial Plan (2021 - 2035)"
In June 2022, the 15th Provincial Party Congress of Zhejiang proposed to "support Shaoxing in integrating with Hangzhou and connecting with Ningbo to build a network - based metropolis". Shaoxing has become the first city in China to set the goal of building a "network - based metropolis".
Moreover, from the "Five - Year Action Plan for the 'Tale of Two Cities' between Hangzhou and Ningbo" in 2021 to the "Action Plan for Further Promoting the 'Tale of Two Cities' between Hangzhou and Ningbo and Building a World - Class Socialist Modern Metropolitan Area" in May last year, Zhejiang has made arrangements for the construction of the continuous belt of the Hangzhou - Shaoxing - Ningbo integrated metropolitan area.
Now, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing jointly held the fourth municipal - level joint meeting on the "Tale of Two Cities" between Hangzhou and Ningbo for the first time, with the main leaders of the municipal Party committees and governments of the three places attending the meeting, clearly sending a signal of accelerated integration of Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo.
"Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo are adjacent in space, and integrated development conforms to objective laws," Sun Bindong observed.
According to the plan, the three places will jointly promote landmark projects such as airport high - speed railways, the connection line from the Hangzhou - Jinhua - Quzhou Expressway to the Hangzhou - Shaoxing - Taizhou Expressway, the reconstruction and expansion of the Yongjin Expressway, the Hangzhou Ring Road, the Airport - adjacent Railway - Water - Air International Hub Center, and the Yi - Yong - Zhou (Xinchang) Digital Logistics Park, to build a three - dimensional, efficient, and convenient transportation network.
Whether it's Hangzhou and Shaoxing's goal of "jointly creating a new model of urban integration in the bay area and a new prototype of future cities" or Ningbo and Shaoxing's goal of "jointly creating a new high - ground for innovation cooperation in the world - class bay area", it's all about using Shaoxing as a link to increase the "stickiness" and accelerate the formation of the continuous belt of the Hangzhou - Shaoxing - Ningbo integrated metropolitan area.
An obvious trend is that the cooperation in the "Tale of Two Cities" is extending from municipal - level linkage to district - county cooperation:
The West Hangzhou Science and Technology Innovation Corridor and the Yongjiang Science and Technology Innovation Zone in Ningbo, the governments of Xiaoshan District and Haishu District, and the governments of Yuhang District and Yinzhou District have respectively signed cooperation agreements. Among them, Xiaoshan District and Haishu District are the gateway hubs of Hangzhou and Ningbo respectively. The two sides have clearly stated that they will strengthen the coordinated cooperation between the national airport - adjacent economic demonstration zones of Hangzhou and Ningbo, share the experience and measures in the construction of airport - adjacent economic demonstration zones, and build a high - level airport - adjacent economic industrial high - ground.
02 "Backbone"
Cooperation in the field of innovation is also being further implemented. As provincial - level science and technology innovation corridors in Hangzhou and Ningbo, the West Hangzhou Science and Technology Innovation Corridor and the Yongjiang Science and Technology Innovation Zone in Ningbo have also signed a strategic cooperation agreement. One of the important tasks is to help create the Hangzhou - Ningbo National Regional Science and Technology Innovation Center.
Image source: Photo Network _ 501280081
Actually, the plan to jointly create the Hangzhou - Ningbo National Regional Science and Technology Innovation Center has been in the works for a long time.
In 2022, the second municipal - level joint meeting on the "Tale of Two Cities" between Hangzhou and Ningbo proposed to jointly build a "science and technology innovation center with national influence". In July 2024, the "Three - Year Action Plan for the Integrated Development of the Yangtze River Delta Region (2024 - 2026)" clearly proposed to support Nanjing, Hangzhou - Ningbo in creating regional science and technology innovation centers. This year, the municipal - level joint meeting on the "Tale of Two Cities" between Hangzhou and Ningbo again clearly arranged to strive for the establishment of the Hangzhou - Ningbo National Regional Science and Technology Innovation Center.
In Sun Bindong's view, the core of the integration of Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo is the "Tale of Two Cities". The two core cities are highly complementary: Ningbo focuses on manufacturing and ports, while Hangzhou focuses on science and technology innovation and the Internet economy. If they can truly form a synergy, it will have a good driving effect on the south bank of the Hangzhou Bay and even the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta.
Across the country, there are currently three major international science and technology innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area. Chengdu - Chongqing, Wuhan, and Xi'an are also accelerating the construction of science and technology innovation centers with national influence. In addition, many places including Nanjing, Jinan, Dalian, Zhengzhou, Chang - Zhu - Tan, and Hangzhou - Ningbo have set their sights on building regional science and technology innovation centers, hoping to seize the high - ground of science and technology innovation.
It's not easy to stand out in this fierce competition. According to the agreement, the West Hangzhou Science and Technology Innovation Corridor and the Yongjiang Science and Technology Innovation Zone in Ningbo will jointly promote the construction of a large - scale scientific device cluster, build national laboratories (bases) and national key laboratories at a high standard, build a provincial laboratory cluster at a high level, and establish a new laboratory system.
The two high - level innovation carriers are also important "test fields" for promoting science and technology innovation and achievement transformation in Hangzhou and Ningbo. At present, the cooperation between the two places has achieved initial results:
Zhejiang University has set up a humanoid robot innovation center in the Yongjiang Science and Technology Innovation Zone and the Future Science and Technology City respectively. The Hupan Laboratory and the Yongjiang Laboratory have cooperated in applied research in the field of "artificial intelligence + new materials". These are all examples of the two places integrating innovation resources and accelerating the in - depth integration of science and technology innovation and industrial innovation.
As a fulcrum, Shaoxing, on the one hand, promotes the integration of innovation resources with Hangzhou and jointly builds the Hangzhou Bay Innovation Alliance; on the other hand, deepens cooperation with major industrial platforms in Ningbo and jointly builds a high - end industrial cooperation and linkage area in the Qianwan New Area - Binhai New Area - Hangzhou Bay Shangyu Economic and Technological Development Zone.
Image source: "Shaoxing Science and Technology Innovation Corridor Development Plan"
Overall, the total economic output of the three cities accounts for more than half of the province, making them the "backbone" of Zhejiang's economy. The creation of the regional science and technology innovation center will also be an important driving force for an innovative Zhejiang, shaping new development advantages through science and technology innovation.
03 "C - position"
From the overall development pattern of Zhejiang, the Greater Hangzhou Bay Area has taken the "C - position" in provincial - level integrated development. Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo, as the most crucial parts, have attracted more and more attention.
According to the previously released "Zhejiang Provincial Territorial Spatial Plan (2021 - 2035)", the Greater Hangzhou Bay Area should be built into a "bay area with important influence", integrate into the overall pattern of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and compete with world - class bay areas.
This year's Zhejiang Government Work Report proposed to enhance the radiation function of modern industrial belts such as the Greater Hangzhou Bay and the Wen - Tai Coastal Area, promote the construction of the Yong - Zhou Marine Economic Core Area, and create a new growth pole for the bay - area economy.
In the first half of 2025, the GDP of Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing was 1.1303 trillion yuan, 886.1 billion yuan, and 415.8 billion yuan respectively, ranking 1st, 2nd, and 4th in Zhejiang. The GDP growth rates were 5.5%, 5.1%, and 6.8% respectively, with Shaoxing's growth rate ranking second in the province.
In recent years, Shaoxing's growth rate has consistently ranked among the top in Zhejiang. In the first half of this year, the added values of its strategic emerging industries, equipment manufacturing industries, and high - tech manufacturing industries increased by 13.9%, 13.6%, and 11.9% respectively, all significantly higher than the 10.6% growth rate of industries above the designated size, reflecting the strong support of emerging industries. This is largely due to the driving effect of the two core cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo. As the "golden pole", Shaoxing undertakes the spill - over effect from both sides.
Image source: Photo Network _ 501288171
Although the economic growth rates of Hangzhou and Ningbo in the same period failed to outperform the 5.8% provincial average in Zhejiang, there were still many bright spots in the detailed data. In the first half of the year, Hangzhou's production of new energy vehicles increased by 117.8%, the production of industrial robots increased by 125.4%, and the production of integrated circuits increased by 29.4%, reflecting the trend of accelerating the transformation of its industrial structure towards the "new".
At this joint meeting, Liu Fei, a member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and the Secretary of the Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee, emphasized that it's necessary to continuously strengthen practical cooperation among the three places. In combination with the preparation of the "15th Five - Year Plan", strengthen planning coordination and strategic synergy, jointly promote the construction of a number of major infrastructure projects, the cultivation of key industrial clusters, and the innovation of important policy measures. The construction of an artificial intelligence innovation and development high - ground should be given prominent importance. Jointly cultivate a science and technology innovation high - ground, build a high - end manufacturing base, and create a global gateway hub.
This is the direction of the integrated development of Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo. Especially as an important support for the Yangtze River Delta to build a world - class advanced manufacturing cluster, the Hangzhou Bay region with Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo as the core is promoting the continuous improvement of the economic level of the bay area through the model of industrial spill - over from core cities and the differential development of surrounding cities.
Specifically, around industrial chains such as integrated circuits, energy - saving and new energy vehicles, intelligent equipment, and textile and clothing, the industrial chain cooperation among bay - area cities such as Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo is becoming increasingly closer. For example, the revenues of integrated circuits and related industries in Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo account for nearly 70% of the province. Hangzhou is strong in design, Shaoxing is good at manufacturing and packaging, and Ningbo's advantages lie mainly in materials and equipment manufacturing. The spill - over effect is continuously emerging in the coordinated division of labor.
"Integrated development is beneficial not only to the spill - over, diffusion, and transformation of Hangzhou's innovation but also to the upgrading and iteration of the manufacturing industries in Ningbo and Shaoxing," Sun Bindong believes. Whether it's the integration of Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo or the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, efforts should be made to promote the free flow of resource elements. "The active signing of agreements by Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo is a positive signal. The key is to find a win - win cooperation mechanism, which is not easy," he said.