Nantong Gangzha Economic Development Zone [Photo/WeChat account: ntgzjjkfq]

The weekend night market event held on June 20 at the Wanda Plaza in Nantong Gangzha Economic Development Zone has just brought down the curtain.

The event is just one of the far-reaching methods that the municipal government has employed to revive the local economy affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

By tapping into the experiences of some successful industrial parks in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, the zone is taking the opportunity to promote high-quality development, according to Wang Bin, secretary of the Party working committee of Gangzha Economic Development Zone.

Established in 1993, the zone sits in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), which is home to an extensive transport network that includes railways and expressways. The travel time between Nantong and Shanghai has been reduced to only over one hour since the Nantong-Shanghai Railway opened on July 1.

In recent years, the zone has been pursuing a growth model driven by advanced manufacturing and modern service industries. Specifically, a batch of giant enterprises engaged in intelligent equipment manufacturing continue to grow, such as China International Marine Containers Group and Kunshan Chuandao Washing Machinery. Besides, a multifunction commercial district has taken shape as local infrastructure has been significantly improved.

As China continues to promote the integrated regional development of the YRD, the zone is now taking new opportunities to build a competitive industry cluster, which will include both pillar industries (equipment manufacturing, high-end textile, power and energy) and emerging industries (information technology, new materials, biological medicine).

Improve management system

To facilitate the upgrading of the industrial structure, the government of Gangzha district is keen to expand the existing industry cluster area, develop competitive industry clusters, incentivize enterprises based in the zone to attract investment, and provide timely solutions if any problems arise during the construction of major projects.

Provide targeted services

The government has taken epidemic control and prevention measures since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. A grid-based community management system was introduced to include everyone in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Point-to-point services were provided for the orderly transfer of 4,536 migrant workers to their workplaces. As well, 55 government officials were designated to local enterprises to offer on-site guidance and suggestions to assist enterprises resuming production.

To better meet the specific needs of local enterprises, the government arranged for special workers to visit enterprises and assess problems they confronting. This move was widely praised by most local enterprises, which rely on a supportive business environment to prosper.

Prioritize major projects

The government has always highlighted the huge contributions major projects can make to social and economic growth, and thus offers enterprises wide-ranging and efficient services to help with their projects.

Kunshan Chuandao Washing Machinery entered the zone in January 2019, and it took only seven months to launch construction, said Lu Jinghua, CEO of Chuandao. He said the government was very helpful during this process.

The zone has also signed agreements with several innovative enterprises, including Jiangsu Shenqi Information Technology and Advertising Cattle.