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Building on the achievements of the past five years, Qidong – a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – will continue to aim high and take further steps to achieve greater success during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

In the previous 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), big strides were made in the economy, advancing its social and community development and in improving the environment.

The report on the government's work in 2020, which was tabled recently, shows that major progress was achieved in three key projects.

These included the establishment of the Qidong train station along the Beiyanjiang High-speed Railway, specifically the high-speed railway along the northern banks of the Yangtze River. The remaining projects were the inclusion of Lyusi Port into the integrated development of Tongzhou Bay and construction of a national civilized city. In China, a national civilized city refers to a city with a relatively high level of urban infrastructure and whose residents enjoy a high quality of life.

The significant work reportedly went ahead while there was strict observation of novel coronavirus prevention and control measures.

According to Li Ling, Party chief of Qidong, in the next five years efforts will be made to elevate it into a pivotal city bolstering the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong core triangle, exemplifying integration within the Yangtze River Delta region.

Qidong also has plans to make a big contribution to the prefecture-level city of Nantong – which administers it – so it can be at the forefront of the province's development.

Specifically, Qidong will boost its wide-ranging cooperation with the Pudong New Area in Shanghai by taking over its ancillary industries and through other initiatives.

This will require improvements to transport and the joint construction of various industry platforms, anticipated to lead to the integration of urban infrastructure that benefits residents.

Overall, the city will focus on comprehensively enhancing its development momentum, improving and standardizing its urban support facilities, promoting green development and improving people's lives.