A meeting takes place on Feb 12 to review the plans of Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, for developing the city’s architectural industry. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong]

The government of Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, laid out ambitious plans for developing the city’s architectural industry, at a meeting convened on Feb 12. 

The event was chaired by Ge Zhijuan, mayor of Qidong, and attended by Chen Chen, deputy director of Jiangsu architectural project management bureau; Shen Weixing, deputy director of Nantong housing construction bureau; Wang Xiaobin, Party secretary of Qidong, and other officials from Qidong government. 

At the meeting, it was revealed that the total output value of the construction industry in Qidong over the past year hit a historical record of 102.8 billion yuan ($15.21 billion), representing a year-on-year increase of 22.6 percent. 

Last year also saw Qidong bag three national construction industry awards for the seventh time. 

Jiangsu Nantong No 2 Construction Engineering (Group) Co, which is based in Qidong, was included on the list of China’s top 500 companies for the 14th time in 2018, achieving 285th place. 

Qi’an Group, also a company native to Qidong, won the top spot for the installation category of Jiangsu’s top 100 construction companies, becoming the only firm in the province to win the honor for nine consecutive years. 

During the meeting, the government of Qidong announced its 2019 plan for developing the city’s architectural industry. According to the government’s objectives, the total output value of Qidong’s architectural industry will reach 110 billion yuan, an increase of more than 10 percent compared to 2018. 

The plans also state that the city will secure at least four national architectural awards in 2019, and strive to gain recognition for 100 construction projects at provincial level. And there will be a renewed emphasis on safety, with the avoidance of major incidents a key government objective. 

Qidong Party Secretary Wang Xiaobin delivered a speech at the meeting, in which he stressed the importance of innovation, training, and international market expansion in promoting the high-quality development of Qidong’s architectural industry. 

Following Wang’s speech, representatives from several prominent construction companies in the city also shared their experiences. 

    Attendees applause during the meeting that took place in Qidong, Feb 12. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong]