A bird's-eye view of Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Nantong will accelerate its pace of modernization in the next five years by upgrading its transportation network, improving its living and working environment, as well as by bolstering innovation, cross-river integration, marine economy, and green development, said the city's Party secretary Wang Hui at the 13th Nantong Municipal Congress of the Communist Party of China on Sept 26.

On behalf of the 12th CPC Nantong Municipal Committee, Wang delivered a report and gave an overview of the city's achievements over the past five years, as well as its goals and tasks for the next five years, at the congress, which was attended by 536 Party members in Nantong.

Wang said that over the past five years, Nantong has seen significant progress in its social and economic development, with the city's regional gross domestic product breaking the 1-trillion-yuan ($145 billion) threshold in 2020. He also noted that the city's rural and urban landscape has continuously improved, people's living standards have been enhanced, and social governance has been upgraded in that time.

Wang noted that in the next five years, Nantong will focus on the goal of socialist modernization and explore distinctive ways to realize high-quality development.

With a focus on reform and innovation, the city will devote attention to addressing unbalanced and insufficient development. It will work to narrow the gap between urban and rural development, as well as among different income groups, to build a harmonious society with shared prosperity, Wang added.