Dynamic Nantong stepping up to serve Shanghai’s industry
The city in East China’s Jiangsu province is establishing itself as a gateway to the nearby metropolis
The city of Nantong, just situated 90 kilometers from the mighty metropolis of Shanghai, is dynamically paving the way to serve and integrate itself with Shanghai’s industry.
Located in eastern Jiangsu province, it features a 203 km coastline running along the Yellow Sea. The Yangtze River also flows through it, giving the city a 166-km riverbank.
The Nantong city’s government recently released an overall plan for building the city up as the northern gateway to Shanghai — to reflect the country’s and Jiangsu’s requirements for regional integration in the Yangtze River Delta.
Last year, the city rolled out a series of infrastructure measures, highlighted by the construction of what it designated as the “Three Ports, Three Districts and Three Bases”.
According to city officials the Three Ports refer to Nantong Port, Xingdong International Airport and a so-called cyberport cluster of internetbased businesses.
The Three Ports project eyes infrastructure, supporting construction of an international navigation center in Shanghai, as well as comprehensive reform of harbors in Jiangsu.
Leveraging Nantong’s strategic port location, it will continue to employ the resources of its deepwater sea ports and deepwater channels along the Yangtze River.
Apart from serving Shanghai, Nantong will also seek to expand its role in connecting southern and northern China by constructing a cluster of harbors in the north of Shanghai, key airports in the north Yangtze River Delta and an information exchange platform in eastern China.
The Three Districts projects, meanwhile, emphasizes development in synergy with the surrounding city clusters, combining various factors involved in production and innovation.
Harnessing the resources of Nantong central district, the Tongzhou Bay demonstrative zone and the Yangtze River estuary, the city plans to develop the district — to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. It will revitalize the demonstration of the industrial district in Tongzhou Bay to create a lifestyle and healthcare technology district at the mouth of the Yangtze.
Nantong officials say the Three Bases project will develop key industrial centers for manufacturing, the services sector and agriculture in urban areas, to better serve Shanghai’s industry.
To further support the industry of its bigger brother, Nantong is also planning the construction of an advanced industrial development base, cultural tourism and leisure base and agricultural products market services base.
Lu Zhipeng, Party chief of Nantong, said the key to building up Nantong as the “north gate of Shanghai” is emphasizing the interconnections of traffic, complementary urban functions, coordinated industries, communications, culture and a common effort to protect the shared ecosystems.
He Wanpeng, chief of the Shanghai Qiantan New Industry Research Institute, said Nantong has been identified as a “valuable and vivid example” of how to undertake the transfer of a large city’s industry, to create a new force for economic growth and to connect Shanghai with the world. “The industry incubated in Shanghai can be commercialized in Nantong,” He said.
The city of Nantong had a rich culture and elegant atmosphere, while also had “bold genes” for innovation, He added.
Nantong’s perspective is not limited by where it is located — at the mouth of Yangtze River, the northern region of Yangtze River Delta or China’s eastern region, He said, adding that it also focuses on the entire country and the world.
The research institute chief said “a door of strategic significance” has now been fully opened to Nantong. Significant improvements to the city’s industrial chain are occurring at a time when large scale technological innovation and its commercialization are being realized, according to He.
Officials say the business environment in Nantong is remarkable as the city embraces opportunities brought about by the nearby global innovation center in Shanghai.
Mayor of Nantong Han Liming said in a 2018 government work report: “Over the past year, Nantong has met unexpected difficulties and challenges in its development, while the opportunities and expectations are more than at any time in the past.”
Han said that in 2018, Nantong will seize the opportunities brought about by both national and regional strategies and accelerate the pace of building itself into the north gate of Shanghai. Nantong stands at the turning point in the new era, the mayor added.
In April last year, a total of 32 agreements were signed at the first session of the Nantong (Shanghai) Cooperation Conference, bringing around 52.2 billion yuan ($8.02 billion) of investment to the city.
Of the 32 projects, four are expected to bring in investments of more than 5 billion yuan and 16 will be worth more than 1 billion yuan each.
According to official figures, a total of 622 corporations from Shanghai chose to start operations in Nantong in 2017, an increase of 85.12 percent year-on-year.