Original title: Opportunities and challenges coexist for Kunming to become a megacity
The National Bureau of Statistics recently announced the “Statistical Charts of Economic and Social Development: The Basic Situation of the Population in Super-large and Mega-cities in the Seventh National Census”, refreshing the list of China’s mega-cities and mega-cities. Currently, China’s megacities are (in order of urban population) Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Tianjin. The megacities are (in order of urban population) Wuhan, Dongguan, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Foshan, Nanjing, Shenyang, Qingdao, Jinan, Changsha, Harbin, Zhengzhou, Kunming, and Dalian.
So far, China’s megacities have increased to 14, and Foshan, Changsha, Harbin, Kunming, and Dalian have become new members. According to the statistical chart, Kunming has a population of 8.46 million, of which the urban population is 5.34 million.
What does it mean for Kunming to become a megacity?
data analysis
Increased population quantity and quality
What conditions must be met to become a megacity? According to the National Bureau of Statistics, cities with an urban resident population of more than 10 million are megacities, and cities with a population of more than 5 million and less than 10 million are megacities.
The main data bulletin of the Seventh National Census of Kunming issued in June this year shows that as of 0:00 on November 1, 2020 (the standard time of the seventh national census), the city’s permanent population has reached 84,600,88. Compared with the 6,432,212 people in the sixth national census, an increase of 31.53%. “The permanent population has increased by more than 2 million in 10 years. This is unprecedented in the history of Kunming’s population development.” Luo Chun, a professor at the School of Economics of Yunnan University, compared the Kunming Statistical Yearbook for the past 10 years and found that according to statistics on the number of births and deaths, Kunming City every year The natural net population increase is about 50,000, and the highest in 2018 was less than 70,000. “And the’Seven People’ population’ suddenly showed an annual increase of 200,000, which greatly exceeded the law and expectations of population growth.” Luo Chun analyzed that this means that 3/4 of the annual net population increase (about 150,000) comes from migration. Growth, among these immigrants, the migrant population within the province may be larger than the migrant population outside the province.
The rapid increase in the number of migrants means that Kunming’s radiation and attractiveness continue to increase.
With the acceleration of economic and social development, the in-depth promotion of household registration reform, and the accelerated improvement of income distribution, the rate of new urbanization in Kunming has continued to increase. Among the city’s permanent population, the population living in urban areas is 6,740,458, accounting for 79.67%; the population living in rural areas is 1,719,630, accounting for 20.33%. Compared with the “six-population”, the proportion of Kunming’s urban population has increased by 15.67 percentage points, becoming an important “source” of Kunming’s high-quality development.
Another data worth paying attention to is the change in the educational level of Kunming’s population over the past 10 years. Among the city’s permanent population, there are 2,050,294 people with a college education (referring to a junior college and above); 1,232,471 people have a high school (including technical secondary school) education. Compared with the “six-person population”, the number of people with university education per 100,000 people has increased from 15,305 to 24,235; the number of people with high school education has increased from 14,076 to 14,568.
The increase in population quantity and quality has laid a solid foundation for the high-quality development of Kunming during the 14th Five-Year Plan.
expert’s point
Both an opportunity and a challenge
“Becoming a megacity, Kunming has many opportunities and will also face some challenges.” Luo Chun analyzed that after becoming a megacity, Kunming’s agglomeration and radiation capabilities will continue to significantly improve, regardless of population, resources, and funds. It is definitely good for Kunming’s future development. In addition to the development of the main urban area, it will also radiate to accelerate the development of surrounding areas. But at the same time, as the urban population increases, for Kunming, a water-scarce city, there may be a shortage of urban water resources. Traffic jams caused by overpopulation and insufficient education and medical resources cannot be ignored.
“Kunming should take advantage of the trend and plan as early as a mega-city with a population of tens of millions. In terms of urban planning, infrastructure, public services, and resource reserves, it should be planned in accordance with the population of tens of millions.” Luo Chun suggested.
He Linkai, an associate professor at the School of Government and Management of Yunnan University, said that after becoming a mega city, Kunming will have greater talent attraction, bringing in a net population inflow within a certain period of time and providing assistance for urban development. But at the same time, it will also bring certain pressure on public services such as transportation, education, and health, forcing the government to speed up the improvement of social public services related to population growth. “The government needs to rationally lay out public service resources and provide better quality public products, so that new and old citizens have more sense of gain, happiness, and security.” And with the inflow of “new citizens”, it will promote health and well-being. The development of related industries, such as tourism, real estate, education, and medical care, has a positive impact on optimizing and enriching the talent structure.
Yang Siling, deputy director and researcher of the Institute of South Asia of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, believes that becoming a mega city will enhance Kunming’s popularity and provide assistance for Kunming to accelerate the construction of a regional international center city. “More talents will flow in to provide support for building a new pattern of open cooperation based in the southwest, integrating into the country, connecting with neighboring countries, and integrating with the world. At present, Kunming is implementing wider, broader, and deeper opening up to create an opening up to the outside world. New Heights leads the construction of the province’s radiating centers in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The arrival of talents will effectively accelerate this process.”
Kunming, the “Spring City”, once known for its slow pace and slow life, is striving for the first place in the new journey of high-quality development.
The “Several Opinions of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Government of Yunnan Province on Supporting the High-Quality Development of Kunming” recently issued set a development goal for Kunming: by 2025, the total economic volume will reach more than 1 trillion yuan, and the permanent population will reach Around 10 million yuan, the economic structure has been significantly optimized, three hundred-billion-level industries of new materials, health, and digital economy have been cultivated, and the image quality of the city has been significantly improved. By 2035, the total economic output will quadruple on the basis of 2020, the comprehensive strength and radiating driving force will be significantly enhanced, the city will be livable, business and travelable, and it will be built into a regional international center city.
The blueprint has been drawn, and Kunming’s bright future can be expected! (Kunming Daily Reporter Li Shuangshuang reports）
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