Jiangsu is an economically strong province, and its comprehensive economic strength is the first in the country. The planning of the Jiangsu metropolitan area was launched relatively early in the country. At present, Jiangsu Province has planned the Nanjing metropolitan area, the Suzhou-Xichang metropolitan area and the Huaihai Economic Zone, among the three major metropolitan areas, the Huaihai Economic Zone was established as early as 1986, and the State Council approved Xuzhou City as the "central city of the Huaihai Economic Zone".
The Nanjing metropolitan area was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission as early as February 2021, becoming the first national-level metropolitan area to be approved in the country. Only the core cities and their surrounding areas approved by the National Development and Reform Commission with high economic strength and innovation ability and can lead regional economic development are the real national metropolitan areas. Only the Suzhou-Xichang metropolitan area is only a planning document of Jiangsu Province so far, and has not yet been officially approved by the state.
Since ancient times, Suzhou and Xichang have been the hometown of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River, surrounded by Taihu Lake and adjacent to Shanghai, with obvious geographical advantages, and is a representative of the strong economic strength of the south of the Yangtze River. The Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou metropolitan area includes three prefecture-level cities, Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou, with a total area of 17,670 square kilometers and a total population of 25.828 million. In the 80s of the last century, due to the sudden rise of township enterprises, Suzhou and Xichang became the first rich area in China after the reform and opening up. Judging from today's economic indicators, the economic strength of the Suzhou-Xichang metropolitan area must not be underestimated.
Judging from the economic indicators of the three cities in 2023, the total GDP economy has exceeded one trillion yuan, of which the GDP of Suzhou City has already exceeded 2 trillion yuan, ranking first, followed by Wuxi City, with a GDP of 1,545.62 billion yuan, and the GDP of Changzhou City has also caught up, breaking through to 1,011.64 billion yuan, entering the ranks of the trillion club, and if the three cities are combined, the total GDP will be 5,022.6 billion yuan, which has surpassed Shanghai. In addition, the three cities have similar cultures, common languages, humanities, and extensive people-to-people exchanges. Since 2002, Jiangsu first proposed the "Suzhou-Xichang metropolitan area", Jiangsu Province has proposed in many government work reports to actively build the Suzhou-Xichang metropolitan area.
It has been more than 20 years since the Suzhou-Xichang metropolitan area was proposed, but why has it not been approved by the state?
First of all, the national metropolitan area must have a core authority, that is, the core growth pole of the region, and generally the core city of the region is more central to play this role. Three-core, that is, there is no core. As the so-called three monks have no water to drink. Which of the three cities of Suzhou, Xichang is the core of the region? Wuxi is located in the center of the region, with it as the core, Suzhou and Changzhou will recognize? Historically, Changzhou has also been generous. I think that in the era of Changzhou Mansion, Wuxi was still a county under the jurisdiction of Changzhou. Although Suzhou is currently the big brother of the economy, if we take a longer view, this economic status and pattern will change. Some people say that the so-called metropolitan area is actually "worshipping big brother", and there is still some truth in it.
Secondly, the national metropolitan area should have a strong radiation and influence. Just like the Shanghai metropolitan area, Shanghai is the core, and it will only spill resources when it is full. Although Su Xichang has a high level of economic development and innovation ability, it is still a little hot in terms of industrial spillover and radiation, especially in helping Jiangbei and realizing cross-river coordinated development with Taizhou, Nantong and other cities.
Third, the national metropolitan area should strengthen cooperation and exchanges between cities, promote resource sharing, complement each other's advantages, and form a healthy competitive relationship. At present, the homogeneity of industrial projects in the three cities of Suzhou, Xichang and Changcheng is obvious, and there is a phenomenon of "grabbing the runway" in various places. Although they are out of the same family, the open and secret fights between the brothers, killing each other, have never stopped. Especially in recent years, the phenomenon ......of "involution" between Suzhou and Wuxi is still very prominent in the competition for airports, resources, industries, Taihu Lake, industrial parks, talents, and projects. There is still a long way to go to establish a cross-regional collaborative innovation cooperation mechanism between Suzhou, Xichang and Suzhou, promote resource sharing, complement each other's advantages, and build a new pattern of regional collaborative innovation and development.
But having said that, with Jiangsu's economic ceiling status, there is only one national metropolitan area in Nanjing, which is not commensurate with its economic development status, especially in the Suzhou-Xichang area, after years of running-in and development, its development potential should not be underestimated, and it has the potential to become a national metropolitan area. The Suzhou-Xichang metropolitan area has become a national-level metropolitan area, and the future is promising.