Shanghai planning shoppers' paradise

Shanghai must compare favorably to the world's best cities if it expects to become a shopper's paradise like New York City, London and Tokyo, according to the city's most senior official.

The eastern Chinese metropolis will release a top-down development plan this year to create a world-class international hub for shopping, Li Qiang, Party secretary of Shanghai, said this week.

"Making 'Shop in Shanghai'a golden brand is part of the ongoing effort to open up further and undertake continual reform in the new era," Li said during a panel discussion of the Shanghai delegation to the ongoing session of the National People's Congress.