Chongqing - During the 2025 Two Sessions, members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from Chongqing submitted a joint proposal for advocating pilot programs in municipalities directly under the central government to modernize governance in mega-cities.

This photo taken on Oct 30, 2023, shows the city view of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Photo/Xinhua)

The proposal emphasizes the need to leverage the administrative advantages of directly administered municipalities to solve the challenges of managing large urban areas.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has long emphasized the importance of modernizing governance in large cities. During his 2024 visit to Chongqing, Xi focused on the city's need to explore modern governance solutions for large, rapidly developing urban areas. The third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee also emphasized the goal of developing smart, efficient governance systems for mega-cities.

As part of this initiative, cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing have started to innovate urban management. Beijing, for instance, has introduced reforms such as a "whistleblowing and reporting system" and a "complaints and response mechanism." Shanghai is focusing on digitalization with its "one-stop service" and "integrated management" reforms. Tianjin is working on a "three-management model" to improve governance efficiency, while Chongqing is using digital tools to promote smart and integrated governance.

However, urban governance in mega-cities remains a global challenge, especially as cities shift from rapid expansion to optimizing existing urban resources. "Urban diseases" are becoming increasingly urgent, but there is no coordinated, nationwide approach to tackle these problems. While individual cities have made progress, there has been limited emphasis on collective solutions that could be scaled up across the country. 

The lack of national-level legislation for urban management has also led to fragmented governance systems, making resource allocation inefficient. Cities, including the four directly-administered municipalities, face siloed governance challenges. The absence of fully integrated data-sharing platforms between national ministries and local governments also hinders the effective use of digital tools in urban management.

The proposal suggests several key actions to address these challenges. It calls for the four directly administered municipalities—Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing—to lead pilot programs for modern governance in mega-cities. With their streamlined administrative systems and strong resource allocation capabilities, these cities are well-positioned to take on this role. They are encouraged to integrate these efforts into the national "15th Five-Year Plan" and receive policy and resource support for international diplomatic activities, hosting global cultural exchanges, and implementing key urban governance programs.

The proposal also suggests creating a national fund dedicated to urban governance. This fund would aim to integrate existing resources for infrastructure, planning, and digitalization, prioritizing projects such as infrastructure upgrades, the creation of "city brains," and AI-driven urban governance systems. The goal is to create models that other mega-cities can replicate.

In addition, the proposal advocates for improved data sharing between central ministries and local governments. National ministries, including transportation, taxation, and urban planning, would be encouraged to share data in directly controlled cities with local governments. A standardized, interconnected data system would help manage resources more efficiently and support better governance.

Finally, the proposal calls for the development of a comprehensive legal framework to guide urban governance. This would involve creating laws that support city planning, construction, and management, and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of urban management departments. It also suggests that the four municipalities experiment with their own local governance laws to better integrate and streamline urban functions.

Chongqing's proposal aims to establish a more effective, digitalized, and unified governance model that could serve as a model for the modernization of mega-cities across China.