Xi stresses expediting building Shanghai into modern socialist intl metropolis

SHANGHAI/YANCHENG, Jiangsu -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to speed up building Shanghai into a modern, socialist and international metropolis by focusing on the construction of international centers of economy, finance, trade, shipping and sci-tech innovation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour in Shanghai that ran from Tuesday to Saturday.

Xi urged Shanghai to accelerate building itself into a modern, socialist and international metropolis with global influence, and play a leading and exemplary role in advancing Chinese modernization.

He inspected the Shanghai Futures Exchange on Tuesday afternoon as soon as he got off a train.

Xi urged the exchange to speed up the construction of a world-class exchange, and make greater contributions to exploring the futures regulatory system and business model with Chinese characteristics and building an international financial center.

When visiting Zhangjiang Science City in the Pudong New Area, Xi said promoting Chinese modernization can not be separated from the strategic support of science and technology, education and talent, and that Shanghai should take a lead in this respect.