Two employees work at a factory in Qidong, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]

Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu, reported impressive growth in its industrial output for the first quarter of this year.

According to official figures, the city achieved an 8.6 percent increase in the output value of industrial enterprises above the designated scale and a 12.7 percent rise in the value added of these enterprises, ranking second in Nantong.

The industrial sales revenue across the city in the first three months reached 36.7 billion yuan ($5.07 billion), marking an 8.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. In March alone, industrial sales revenue amounted to 13.59 billion yuan, up 6.4% year-on-year and securing the second position in terms of growth in Nantong.

A port in Qidong, Nantong, Jiangsu. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]

The maritime industry in Qidong has displayed robust momentum this year, with 32 ocean engineering vessels currently under construction, 80 percent more than last year. The total value of orders in hand for maritime enterprises has surpassed 50 billion yuan.

Furthermore, the city has been focused on developing new energy, equipment manufacturing, electronic information and semiconductor industries. Alpha ESS Qidong, a leading energy storage solution and service provider, is expanding its footprint in overseas markets.

Qidong Linkconn Electronics, which specializes in connectors for industries such as mobile phones, wearable devices, computers, smart homes, and automotive intelligent systems, generated 650 million yuan in output value in the first quarter, an 81.3 percent growth year-on-year.