Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, was included among the first group of national pilot areas for standardized public services by the State Administration for Market Regulation, National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance on April 14.

A total of 51 cities and counties made the list, including four in Jiangsu province, with Rugao being the only in Nantong.

In recent years, the local government and Party committee have been making efforts to improve basic public services and business environment. They has launched 10 national-level pilot programs and six provincial-level pilot programs related to basic public services since 2017.

Officials said the city will place more importance on drafting standards and establishing a real-time monitoring mechanism for local basic public services, setting an example for other cities.