China Daily (Hong Kong)

City building more key infrastruc­ture

- By YUAN SHENGGAO

The city of Nantong in East China’s Jiangsu province is making strides in improving its infrastruc­ture and progress in high-quality developmen­t, according to the local government.

In February, the Jiangsu provincial government issued a guideline on investment in major projects for 2020. A new airport in the city and the Shanghai-Hefei section of the Shanghai-Chengdu railway are included on a list of 240 projects.

Nantong has establishe­d has set up a command for constructi­on of the airport and has been working on preparatio­n, local officials said.

In January, the city announced the constructi­on of the Tongzhou Bay as a new deep-water channel in Jiangsu.

It has incorporat­ed Yangkou, Haimen and Lyusi ports into the bay project.

The city plans to promote its coastal ports planning and riversea coordinate­d developmen­t in Tongzhou Bay.

It aims to complete constructi­on of the bayin one year, have it operating in two years and put it into volume production in three years.

Located in the eastern coastal area of Tongzhou, the Tongzhou Bay is an ideal destinatio­n to build a deep-water port in Jiangsu province, which can help the province improve its port capacity, local officials said.

The deep-water coastline of the Tongzhou Bay port area is 37.3 kilometers with 30 berths which can accommodat­e 50,000-metricton vessels, and 86 berths capable of handling vessels with a tonnage of over 100,000.

With the new deep-water channel under constructi­on, Nantong will become a new pillar of growth for Jiangsu, Lou Qinjian, Party secretary of Jiangsu province, said during a recent promotiona­l event.

In 2019, Nantong’s GDP reached 938.3 billion yuan ($132 billion), an increase of 6.2 percent year-onyear.

The public budget revenue was 61.93 billion yuan and its industrial taxable sales growth ranked second in the province, official data showed.

Xu Huimin, Party secretary of Nantong, said the city had confirmed its overall developmen­t plan to integrate more into the southern part of Jiangsu province, connect to Shanghai and promote high-quality developmen­t.

The city should develop with an open mind to integrate into the southern Jiangsu in fields such as cross-river channels and industrial developmen­t to realize coordinate­d developmen­t, Xu noted

To realize this year’s economic goal to top 1 trillion yuan and to ensure a high-level moderately prosperous society, Nantong requires more accurate policies aimed at addressing its shortcomin­gs, Xu said.

Nantong is currently in a phrase of accelerate­d industrial developmen­t, he added.

The city faces opportunit­ies brought by national strategies such as the integrated developmen­t of the Yangtze River Delta and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, he said, adding that Nantong should aggregate production and improve quality.

Xu called for attracting more industrial investment and developing advanced manufactur­ing clusters focusing on industries such as the marine industry, highend textiles and new-generation informatio­n technology.

Lou, highlighte­d Nantong during his overseas promotion of the province in Japan last year.

 ??  ?? From top: The rendering of Zenith Steel Group’s plant in Nantong. A ship docks at the Yangkou Port in the Tongzhou Bay.
From top: The rendering of Zenith Steel Group’s plant in Nantong. A ship docks at the Yangkou Port in the Tongzhou Bay.

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