Nantong strengthens ties with UK

Xu Huimin (R), mayor of Nantong, and John Edwards, British consul-general in Shanghai, pose for a photo during a meeting in Nantong on May 7. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Nantong city in East China’s Jiangsu province aims to strengthen cooperation with the United Kingdom in economic development, education, and infrastructure construction, according to Xu Huimin, mayor of Nantong, during a meeting with John Edwards, British consul-general in Shanghai, on May 7.

He said that the city will further open up to British investors and provide high-quality services for British companies and institutions operating in Nantong.

The city has already maintained a long friendship with the UK. Swansea, the second largest city in Wales, became Nantong’s first international sister city in 1987. Since then, the two sides have carried out frequent exchanges in education.

By the end of 2018, trade between Nantong and the UK reached $490 million. Nantong invested nearly $75 million into the UK and received $337 million in investment from British companies in food, textiles, and new materials industries.

It is an impressive city with a great natural environment and huge potential for development, said John Edwards during his visit to Nantong.

The consulate-general plans to continue promoting bilateral cooperation between Nantong and the UK to create mutual benefits, he added.