A signing ceremony for major projects in the fourth quarter of 2021 was held on Dec 20 at the Qidong Economic Development Zone – located in the county-level city of Qidong in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province – with over 50 enterprises taking part in the event.

Twenty projects, receiving total investments of nearly 8 billion yuan ($1.25 billion), were signed during the ceremony. They involved the semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and other industries.

It is understood that the projects, with high technical content and vast development potential, are in line with Qidong's industry development direction. After completion, it is expected that they will inject new momentum into the city's high-quality development.

Qidong, regarded as being one of the cities with the most development vitality and investment value in the Yangtze River Delta region, boasts great opportunities brought about by the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the YRD integration and other national development strategies.

The opening of the Lyusi port area of the Tongzhou Bay demonstration area, in particular, is expected to contribute to the development of Qidong's port-surrounding industries, while the high-speed railway along the northern bank of the Yangtze River is projected to integrate Qidong with Shanghai's 30-minute commuting circle.

With life health, electronics information, semiconductors and new energy as its lead industries, the Qidong Economic Development Zone has attracted a slew of industry leaders including WuXi AppTec, PNC Processing Excellence and Linyang Energy.