Rudong is totally committed to developing its high-tech industries. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfb]

In recent years, Rudong county – administered by Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province – has really focused on the development of the real economy and committed itself to promoting the transformation and upgrading of its industries.

Last year its GDP hit 127.22 billion yuan ($18.82 billion), with the annual growth rate ranking first among the regions in Nantong.

One leading facet of its focus is that Rudong has taken the initiative to guide its enterprises to conduct technical reforms, like Nantong Texhong Textile Co Ltd – an old textile company in Rudong.

In the 1970s, it had fewer than 40,000 spinning spindles and over 2,000 employees. But after half a century of reform, it now has nearly 70,000 spinning spindles, although the number of employees is less than a quarter than previously.

Moreover, to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, Texhong Textile has increased its efforts in technical reforms. Starting from last year, it has issued plans to invest over 30 million yuan ($4.44 million) to improve the level of intelligence, automation and green development.

Rudong is also attaching great importance to introducing sci-tech innovation projects – as well as other initiatives like intellectual property rights, research institutions and innovative personnel. One example is Nantong Membrane New Material Technology Co Ltd, which was established in the Rudong Economic Development Zone last year.

Led by high-level talent, it has built a first-class laboratory for the R&D of filter membranes, filter elements and filters. In November last year, the company developed a PES microporous membrane, breaking the long-term monopoly held abroad.

Elsewhere, the Yangtze River Delta Industrial Internet Innovative Service Center was established in May in Rudong, which will provide support for local manufacturing enterprises.