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A panoramic view of the Haohe River running through Nantong in Jiangsu province. CHINA DAILY

Host of industries set up in northern Jiangsu city and generate more than 1 trillion yuan in gross domestic product

Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province has made progress in becoming a city with a strong economy, beautiful environment and a high degree of social civilization over the past decade, said local officials.

The GDP of Nantong exceeded 1 trillion yuan ($140.6 billion) in 2020, ranking first in northern Jiangsu.

"We are embarking on a mission entrusted by Jiangsu to be an important driver of the province's high-quality development. Nantong is committed to seizing this opportunity and taking advantage of it," said Wang Hui, Party secretary of Nantong.

Over the past decade, Nantong has focused on green development and witnessed transformations in its environment and across industries. ZTT Group, which specializes in information communication, smart grids, precision industrial equipment and new energy, became the largest manufacturer in the city.

Five industrial clusters of shipbuilding, high-end textiles, new materials, new-generation information technology and high-end equipment are each capable of generating 100 billion yuan in output value.

The 17-square-kilometer Nantong Innovation Zone, once the transitional zone for Chongchuan Economic Development Zone in Nantong 10 years ago, has now become an innovation hub in the city.

Peking University's Yangtze Delta Institute of Optoelectronics, which was established two years ago, now has more than 40 full-time staff members. A number of cutting-edge achievements in optoelectronic science have been quickly transformed into products thanks to the institute, said a local official.

Ten years ago, the city featured Nantong Port along less than 4 kilometers of the Yangtze River. They contributed 70 percent of container throughput and more than 30 percent of cargo throughput to the main port of Nantong.

Since 2016, Nantong has invested more than 12 billion yuan in the ecological restoration of the Yangtze River. As a result, a new 12-km-long shoreline was targeted and 600 hectares of green space set up. The Langshan National Forest Park opened to the public in 2019. It is known as the green lung of Nantong, and attracts more than 4 million visitors each year.

Located at the eastern end of Nantong, the Tongzhou Bay area is driving the city's development. Official statistics show the bay has attracted 500 projects, with a total investment of 200 billion yuan since its establishment in February 2012.

In order to meet people's desires for a better life and to share in the outcomes of development, Nantong has poured 80 percent of its financial budget into public facilities.

The city has implemented a three-year plan for urban renewal. For example, 62 old residential areas have undergone regeneration in the past two years. A shortage of parking lots and charging piles for electric vehicles was addressed.

Nantong has also seen fruitful results in its cultural sector. Data from the local government showed that Nantong has nine cultural centers, 11 public libraries, 29 museums and four public art galleries. Among them, Nantong Museum and Zhang Jian Memorial Hall were listed as national bases of patriotic education. The spirit of Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a native of Nantong and a renowned entrepreneur, politician and educator, is prevalent in Nantong, a local official said.

The city is home to a number of unsung heroes. One of the most familiar figures is Mo Wensui, a nickname given to Yang Chunyuan. Yang was a professor at Nantong University and he has dedicated himself to helping local students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

To better connect Shanghai and Suzhou in Jiangsu, Nantong has built eight river crossings. Among them, the Sutong Yangtze River Bridge, the Chongming-Qidong Yangtze River Bridge and the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge have all been opened to traffic. A Jiangsu section of an expressway started construction on Sept 28 and more railways have been approved to be built.

According to local officials, Nantong's total investment in transportation is expected to reach 150 billion yuan during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), which is 2.14 times that of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

Nantong now has a metro line, which is about to begin operations. It makes Nantong the sixth city in Jiangsu to have a metro after Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Xuzhou.

"There is no 'ultimate version' of a good business environment. We should look at the big picture, roll out innovative measures and strive to ensure a first-class business environment," Wang said.

To this end, the city implemented 66 measures to improve its business environment and a series of preferential policies for talents who choose to work in Nantong.

For instance, teams led by high-level talents who have either core technologies, key projects or funds can receive 2-6 million yuan of material rewards. For high-level individuals, each can receive financial assistance of 1-5 million yuan.

During a three-year period following approval, the city government will provide academicians, State-level talents, winners of provincial contests and city-level talents with a monthly subsidy ranging from 5,000, 4,000 and 3,000 to 2,000 yuan.

If these talents decide to start businesses in Nantong, they will be offered office space with reduced rent. Their apartments are also rent-free for the first three years. For those who purchase apartments in Nantong, the city offers a subsidy of 400,000 to 1.5 million yuan.

For high-tech enterprises founded by high-level talents, a venture capital fund owned by the local science and technology sector will provide 20 million yuan at most to each one within five years.

Over the past decade, Nantong's GDP has continuously increased. In 2021, its GDP reached 1.1 trillion yuan and its annual growth rate ranked third among the 24 cities with a GDP exceeding 1 trillion yuan in China. The proportion of its GDP in Jiangsu's total increased by 1.1 percentage points compared to 2020.

Between 2013-21, the city's GDP grew at an average annual rate of 8.4 percent, which was 1.9 and 1 percentage points faster than that of the whole country and the whole province respectively. Its per capita GDP has reached the level of moderately developed countries and regions, as the figure rose from 62,200 yuan in 2012 to 142,600 yuan in 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 8 percent, 1.2 percentage points higher than the provincial level.

High-tech industries contributed to nearly half the city's total industrial output value above designated size. Per capita disposable income of Nantong residents increased from 20,993 yuan in 2012 to 46,882 yuan in 2021. The city's total import and export volume increased from 166.13 billion yuan in 2012 to 340.58 billion yuan in 2021. The paid-in foreign capital in the city reached $3.12 billion in 2021. Between 2013-21, the paid-in foreign capital totaled $22.79 billion.

In 2021, the cargo throughput of Nantong Port was 308.51 million metric tons and the container throughput was 2.03 million twenty-foot equivalent units, 1.67 times and four times that of 2012 respectively.

Speaking of industrial development, Nantong has 1.12 million market entities, 1.5 times that of 2012. The number of domestic and overseas listed companies in the city increased from 28 in 2012 to 54 in 2021, of which 11 companies were listed in 2021, a record high.

From 2013 to 2021, the output value of private enterprises above designated size increased by 12.1 percent annually. In 2021, these enterprises accounted for 68.7 percent of the total industrial output value, an increase of 10.5 percentage points over 2012. Their contribution to the growth of industrial output value in the city reached 69.9 percent, 4.5 percentage points higher than that in 2012.

The past decade has also witnessed an expansion of private investment. The proportion of private investments in total investment increased from 74.4 percent in 2012 to 78.8 percent in 2021.

yinruowei@chinadaily.com.cn