Nantong strives to become strong, prosperous, and beautiful

An aerial view of the Junshan, Jianshan, Langshan, Ma'an, and Huangni mountains. [Photo by Yuan Chengsong for chinadaily.com.cn]

Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province has been striving to become strong, prosperous and beautiful over the past 10 years.

From 2013 to 2021, the city experienced an annual increase of 8.4 percent in GDP, 1.9 and 1.0 percentage points higher than the national and provincial averages.

At the end of 2021, Nantong was home to over 1.1 million market entities, including more than 300,000 enterprises, and five industrial clusters valued at 100 billion yuan ($14.05 billion).

Nantong enterprises have invested in 52 countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and the city ranks among the top cities in Jiangsu in terms of foreign investment and foreign trade.

An aeriel view of an RV campsite in Nantong. [Photo/IC]

Nantong residents have seen their living standards improve over the past decade. The city was the first in Jiangsu to completely eliminate poverty and has increased basic living allowances every year.

The city has also persisted in environmental protection while pursuing economic development, helping it secure the title of National Forest City. The Binjiang area of the "five mountains" areas has even become a national role model in environmental restoration.