An investment promotions conference on Rudong county in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu province, was held in Xiamen, in Fujian province, on Aug 14.

Xiamen is a gathering place for businessmen from Taiwan and plays an important role in the fields of finance, trade and emerging industries across the Taiwan Straits, officials said.

Organizers said the conference targeted Taiwan businesses, attracting the participation of more than 40 businessmen from the Xiamen Association of Taiwan-funded Enterprises and the Zhangzhou Association of Taiwan-funded Enterprises.

Shen Gengsheng, deputy director of Rudong’s NPC standing committee, talked about the business environment in Rudong county and expressed his hopes that more Taiwan businesses could invest in Rudong.

Rudong is located on the north wing of the core area of the Yangtze River Delta region, and it is riding the crest of a wave of major national strategic opportunities presented by the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Yangtze River Delta integration development and Jiangsu coastal development.

It is a cluster of manufacturing enterprises -- with the Yangkou Port Economic Development Zone, Rudong Economic Development Zone, Rudong Coastal Economic Development Zone and Rudong High-tech Zone as core industrial areas.

Local officials said Rudong will enjoy much more efficient transport with the construction of the new airport in Nantong, the high-speed railway along the north bank of the Yangtze River and  inter-city high-speed railways.

Rudong has a long history of cooperation with enterprises in Taiwan. Since the first Taiwan-funded enterprise established itself in Rudong in the 1990s, economic and trade cooperation between Rudong and Taiwan has continuously expanded.

Currently, there are 31 Taiwan-funded companies registered in Rudong, with a total investment of 934 million yuan ($132.57 million) and a registered capital of 395 million yuan. The enterprises are mainly involved in petrochemicals, agriculture, electronics, semiconductors and other industries, providing jobs for more than 1,000 local residents, with annual sales exceeding 400 million yuan.

Chen Lei, Party secretary of Rudong county, said that Rudong would continue to improve its investment environment, entrepreneurial environment and development environment to attract the investment of companies from Taiwan.