Haimen district in Nantong reported a 5.5 percent year-on-year growth in GDP in 2020, reaching 144.26 billion yuan ($22.34 billion), local media outlets reported.

The district's general public budget revenue was 7.35 billion yuan, up 3.5 percent. The actual received foreign investment was $350 million.

Its industrial taxable sales increased 21.7 percent to 147.37 billion yuan and have maintained double digit growth for 48 months in a row.

Service taxable sales also saw a significant growth of 32.3 percent and the output of the construction industry was valued at 210 billion yuan.

The import-export volume was valued at 24.5 billion yuan, up 26.2 percent, topping Nantong's districts, county-level cities, and county in growth rate.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), Haimen has seen stable economic development, as well as improved its natural and living environment.

It climbed nine places in the  ranking of China's top 100 counties list in terms of economic strength – Haimen was transformed from a county-level city to a district in mid-2020 – ranking seventh in Jiangsu province. Its per capital GDP also topped Nantong.

High-end textiles, modern construction, and advanced equipment manufacturing have become pillar industries of the district, with the output value of each exceeding 100 billion yuan.

The number of local high-tech companies has doubled over the past five years, while the number of provincial special towns involving football, home textiles, and robots also ranked first in Nantong.

Haimen aims to sign more than 60 project deals, each worth 1 billion yuan and over, as well as set up two to three industrial clusters, each worth 50 to 100 billion yuan, in 2021.

The online and offline turnover of its modern home textiles industry is expected to exceed 135 billion yuan, while the output value of its construction industry will break the 230 billion yuan mark.

Efforts will also be made to improve the district's living environment, with old residential areas being renovated and 500,000 square meters of green areas being built.