A bird's-eye view of Nantong. [Photo by Peng Changqing for en.nantong.gov.cn]

Nantong in Jiangsu province projects data to reveal a 6 percent year-on-year growth in GDP over the past year, according to the annual government report recently delivered by the mayor.

The city's economy continued picking up throughout last year. The added value of industries above designated size jumped 8.8 percent from the previous year, the construction industry generated 1.2 trillion yuan ($168.01 billion) in output, and the actual use of foreign capital is expected to reach $2.2 billion.

Major projects and technology empowered Nantong's economic growth. By the end of 2023, Nantong had seen an addition of 64 "little giants", 763 high-tech businesses, and 389 projects each with a registered capital of over 500 million yuan.

The living and natural environment in the city was further improved last year. The city renovated 60 old residential communities, built 5,765 parking spaces, completed the Yangtze River and Huanghai Sea Landscape Belt, and led the province in the number of days with good air quality. Additionally, the second subway line started operating in the city during the same year.

Local authorities also effectively ensured the well-being of local residents in 2023 by creating an additional 119,000 jobs, establishing 16 provincial-level public cultural spaces, and providing convenient home and community-based eldercare services.

Moving forward, Nantong is expected to achieve over 5.5 percent year-on-year increase in GDP, more than 4 percent growth in general public budget revenue, and 5 percent expansion in fixed asset investment in 2024.