A delegation from Pui Ching Middle School Macao visits Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

To mark the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, a delegation from Nantong Zilang Lake Experimental School was recently invited to attend celebrations at Pui Ching Middle School Macao.

Since the establishment of a friendly relation between the two schools in April this year, exchanges and visits have become increasingly frequent. This is just one example of how Nantong and Macao are strengthening relations.

In 2010, Fernando Chui Sai On, the then chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, visited Nantong and promoted cooperation between the two places in various fields.

Subsequently, delegations from Nantong participated in the sixth Industrial and Commercial Summit for Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries. For four consecutive years, cultural enterprises from the city attended the Macao International Cultural and Art Exhibition and Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition.

In 2020, Nantong hosted a cultural tourism promotion event in Macao and in June of the following year, a new air route was opened between the two places, making Nantong the fifth destination for Air Macao in East China and the third in Jiangsu.

For many years, Nantong University has been engaged in exchanges with universities in Macao. In 2021, Nantong University signed cooperation agreements with the City University of Macao and the Macao University of Science and Technology, sending over 400 students to study in Hong Kong and Macao and more than 10 teachers for further study in Macao.

In addition, there are over 200 entrepreneurs from Nantong residing in Macao, with businesses spanning various sectors such as catering, real estate, construction, technology, and labor services. Nantong's convenient transportation and favorable business environment have also attracted many people from Macao to invest and start businesses in the city. As of the end of last year, Nantong was home to 44 Macao-funded projects.