Under Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of State Council, Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region care and guidance，Yangtze Council was officially established in Shanghai in April 1998.The Development Research Center of Shanghai Municipal People's Government in charge of Yangtze Council's business.

In February 24, 2010, the association from the original Shanghai Yangtze River Development Shanghai and Hong Kong promotion renamed the Yangtze River Development Promotion Association, as so, the member units will not be limited to Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Purpose of Yangtze Council is "With economic development as the center, to strengthen ties with the industrial and financial sector in the United States, Europe and Asia. Extensive contact with the relevant departments of the Yangtze River basin, take more efforts to build a functional service platform for overseas investors and the regional cooperation, make contributions to jointly promote the economic development of the Yangtze River Basin."

Function & Position is "In view of the domestic and international,  serve the economic development and urbanization of Shanghai and the cities along the Yangtze river. Actively organizing experts and scholars at home and abroad to research the investment environment, resource endowment and development potential of the coastal cities of the Yangtze river. Seeking truth and being practical, give full play to the advantages of Shanghai and Hong Kong in close connection with the international community, take great efforts to introduce and promote the formation of a number of overseas investment industrial park, in order to promote the improvement and development of the economic outward degree of the Yangtze River Basin. 

In accordance with the national strategic development layout, make efforts to promote the development of the Yangtze River Basin in the country named after the reform of the experimentation area and the development of the planning area to form an interactive mechanism of exchange, promote the development of the region along the Yangtze river. Actively promote the integration of tourism resources in the Yangtze River basin development, promote the interactive development of new tourism formats."