Shanghai reported GDP of 625.081 billion yuan (US$75.31 billion) last year, said Shanghai Municipal Government spokesman Jiao Yang at a press conference on January 20. Pan Jianxin, director with the Shanghai Statistics Bureau introduced the local national economic and social development situation of last year.
Jiao also answered reporters' questions at the conference.

Xinhua Agency: It is said that there is a bird flu case in Pinghu of Zhejiang Province, and it is originated from Jinshan district of Shanghai. Can you confirm the report?

Jiao Yang: I haven't got the report, so I cannot confirm it.

Eastday.com: The main roads in the downtown center will be for motor-vehicles only soon. Can you tell me why the government issued such policy? Did you consider the future of motorless vehicles (bikes, electric vehicles and mopeds)? How will the city government ensure such motorless vehicles to run in a safe and efficient way?

Jiao Yang: The mixed running of motor and motorless vehicles is the main threat of local traffic, especially at the city's artery roads. The main road network (in downtown center), consisting of three vertical roads and there horizontal roads, currently serves not only mid and long-distance journeys but short journeys as well, with both motor and motorless vehicles able to run. It has a negative impact on local traffic, with overall traffic efficiency on artery roads down nearly 30 percent. The untapped potentials in branch roads and secondary roads also put burdens on artery roads. Therefore, it is necessary for the main roads in the downtown center to be gradually for motor-vehicles only. According to the local white-paper on urban transportation issued in 2002, by 2005, the main roads in the downtown center will be for motor-vehicles only and local secondary roads will be extended in a bid to expand the local road network, raise passenger transport capacity and ensure traffic safety.
We actually take motorless vehicles into consideration. In order to guarantee public and social benefits, we transfer motorless vehicles from artery roads to the nearby roads, and the artery roads will be for motor vehicles only, with buses having priority.
The best way to solve traffic problem is streamlining motor with motorless vehicles by opening passages for motorless vehicles and establishing roads for motor vehicles only. To date, Shanghai has had 28 special roads for motor vehicles, with a certain number of them opening passages for buses only. Eighteen special roads for motorless vehicles have been opened near the artery roads.
To sum up, such measures conform the plans and purposes of local traffic development and Shanghai residents' fundamental benefits.

Hong Kong Phoenix TV: We have seen the newly passed Shanghai Government Information Publication Regulation. If medias, especially from overseas, are rejected from acquiring such information, whom should they complain to? National and business secrets which are unavaialble to be made public are clearly pointed out in the regulation, but the definition of personal privacy is obscure. Can you make explanation?

Jiao Yang: If reporters are rejected from acquiring information in a proper way, they should protect their legal rights. For open information unrestricted by national laws and regulations, overseas reporters should have the same treatment as domestic ones. Many people are concerned about personal privacy. Actually, many government information will possibly involve personal privacy or business secrets of companies or communities. According to the 14th item of the regulation, if the government information likely affects the rights of the Third Party, the government departments shouldn't reveal it unless get approval from the Third Party in written forms.

South Morning Post: Last year I raised a question: are there bubbles in Shanghai's housing market. Now one year has passed and Shanghai's housing prices has remained rising. What's your view now on the local housing market? You didn't provide year-on-year change data about the housing prices in your released material. Would you please disclose it?

Pan Jianxin: The data you demand involve sales, completion spaces, investment, areas and price rises of the commercial housing projects. We have the data and can provide it completely to you after the meeting.

As for the view on the housing market as you've referred to, I think so far Shanghai's real estate market is generally healthy. It lies in the following aspects: First, the housing sector has ensured its position as one of Shanghai's key industries, ranking the top four industry in volume; Second, the supply and demand of the market is comparatively in balance and the vacant housing areas have seen a sharp decline with the volume of spaces vacant for more than one year falling 7.5 percent from a year ago; Third, the degree of the housing industry's marketization has been rising as seen in land use capital supply and housing commercializing; Fourth, Shanghai's housing security system is improving with the implementation of the housing subsidy policy for mid-and-low income families as well as free and low-rent housing programs. From all the above four aspects, Shanghai's housing market is healthy in general. However, many problems have now risen and are inneglectable, such as the housing supply structure and sharp price rises. In some areas, the prices have grown over-fast. All these problems require the government to take measures to intensify macro adjustment on the property market.

As for bubbles, I think it refers to the risk of possible price changes resulting from the sharp deviation of prices from values. But there's large discrepancy upon the definition of "bubbles" in the society. Is the judgment made from a general view or in a certain area? Is it for the long term or short term? Or, how big the change is expected? and etc. Owing to the large discrepancy, currently it's better to make some description about the market.

STV Comprehensive Channel: The Regulation of Government Information Publicity of Shanghai Municipality rules that any citizen, corporate and organization can apply for government information. If a common citizen wants access to such information as social security policies, how can one submit the application? The Regulation also points out that information under investigation or processing can be not publicized. Will that be abused as an excuse for government to refuse publicizing information?

Jiao Yang: The first question, when a citizen appeal the government for information, he may not find the right government department to handle his requirement immediately. The government will offer advice, or the citizen can hand in the application and the department involved will provide definite reply in a ruled period of time. If the department is not the right government body to handle the request, it will tell the applicant the right department he should turn to. Department doesn't fulfill the responsibility will be punished. As for whether the rule will be abused as an excuse for refusal, I think the best beneficial tool for the citizen is law. Shanghai Informatization Office is in charge of the work. It organized, directed and pushed information publicity work and set up a federal meeting formed by other departments such as Shanghai Information Office and General Office of Shanghai Municipality. The meeting will research and coordinate for the problems in the work. Citizen can consult relevant government departments for possible refusal for access to information.

Jiefang Daily: Starting this year, there will be change in the existing GDP calculation method. Will the changes affect Shanghai's achievement of the GDP goal in 2007 to reach US$750 per capita? How the goal will be achieved?

Pan Jianxin: The level of per-capita GDP depends on the following factors of economic volume, population and foreign exchange rate. If the foreign exchange rate stays unchanged, the population remains reasonable growth and the economy sustains fast development, I personally expect the goal for 2007 will surely be reached, despite that the two calculation methods may result in a gap of about US$1,000. If renminbi appreciates, the possibility of achieving the goal stays bigger. When we judge the stage of a nation or a region's economic development, we don't confine to only one or two years or a gap of US$500 or US$1,000. From the purchasing capability, Shanghai's per-capita GDP level is higher than the published figures. In that case, the judgment that Shanghai's GDP now stays around US$5,000 per capita is basically true to the fact.

Oriental Morning Post: With the Lunar New Year approaching, (to make up for) the unpaid wages to out-of-towner labors tops the list of concerns for local governments. How is the situation is Shanghai and what measures has been taken by now?
It is reported that the Legionnaires' disease is spreading in Shanghai, two thirds of local citizen may be infected, is that true? Will or will not the disease outbreak in the city at all?

Jiao Yao: The problem of un-paid salary to labors coming from rural area has existed for a long time, which recently leads to Premier Wen Jiaobao's urging to properly paid the wages. Attaching much concern on this problem, Shanghai government started to work on the issue in last year. We make concrete efforts to solve this problem as early as possible, and take long-term measures to prevent it form emerging later. We also wish to tackle the problem in lower level of the government so it won't take long before the labors are properly paid. By January 17, up to 98 percent of the rural labors have get their wages. Yet our aim is not only solve the problem at the turning of years, but also setup system that works in the long run. Therefore, we now relate the wage issue with the qualification of project managers, the profit of the companies, and the construction administrators. The constructions administration of the districts, counties and from other parts of China will join efforts and should responsibilities together on this issue. Shanghai Construction Committee organized several exclusive inspections on the problem, and ask the labors face to face whether they've got their wage. Enterprises with records of not-paying salaries are key investigation object. And the construction authorities allotted emergent funds to guarantee the labors are paid and enjoy and happy lunar New Year.

As for the second question, I've read similar reports and asked about the situation from related organs. The Legionnaires’disease was first found in retires soldiers in US Army and thus got the name. It's a respiratory disease mainly caused by infection of Legionnaires’bacterium. The disease general doesn't outbreak when a person is in normal health condition, yet it may leads to pneumonia when ones immunity declines or inbreathe large amount of the bacterium. It is the pathogenic bacteria of traditional non-representative pneumonic. Up to now, no case of human-to-human infection of these bacteria. Shanghai started inspection of the bacteria in 1990, and the first case was founded in 1993. The incidence of this disease is kept in low level. According to inspections, 65 percent of Shanghai citizen have positive antibody of the bacteria, which mean the local people have high resistibility towards the disease. In order to enhance respiratory disease control and prevent, the health authority make mass publication and education on the preventive methods of these diseases. Citizens, especially those with comparatively low immunity may take care and keep healthy, yet there is no need for worries and panic.

Reuters: Judging from GDP per person, is Shanghai the wealthiest city in China?

Pan Jianxin: Shanghai's per personal GDP is the highest among all cities in Chinese Mainland, including Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing and Shenzhen. But these cities are different in their scale and economic component, so we can not compare them in detail and say which is the most wealthy one.

China Business Times: As a member of the World Trade Organization, Chinese government bare the obligation to protect intellectual property right. Is there any special feature in Shanghai's beating down counterfeit products?

Pan Jianxin: The related government organs in Shanghai take various measures to strike counterfeit products. I will help you to get details works and figures after the new briefing.

Shanghai Youth Daily: According to law, publication of important information like outbreak of some diseases should abide by certain regulations. How will the Shanghai government practice in case of these happenings?

Jiao Yang: Truly, publication of important information like outbreak of some diseases should abide by certain regulations. According to term 25th of the emergent public health occasions, the health administration of State Council is responsible to publicize information on emergent happenings. The State Council may accredit health administrations of Provincial; Autonomous Regions and municipality level to publicizes this information when necessary. According to this regulation, the Shanghai government has set clear the government information that should be released to the public, meanwhile it will practice according to the regulation in special limits of authority.

Dragon TV: The administrative approval system is to come out in July this year. Will Shanghai government carry on reform in administration with the issuing of this system?

Jiao Yang: Are you speaking of the administration admission regulation? If so, that's a basic and important law of the nation. During yesterday's government work meeting, mayor Han Zheng pointed out that Shanghai should take the issuing of this law as a opportunity to promote the administrative level of the government, and take concrete effort to shift its role from administration to service. It will bring Shanghai government to a new level in building itself into a government of service, legal and responsibility. Currently the related organs is giving training to public servant and making preparations for the implement of the law.