a port at Qidong. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]

Qidong city in East China's Jiangsu province has taken significant steps to implement its coastal development strategy and align its growth with Shanghai, achieving remarkable results in economic and social development.

Its notable accomplishments include impressive GDP growth, a high ranking in the province in comprehensive strength, numerous construction projects and industrial clustering.

In the first three quarters of this year, Qidong recorded a GDP of 112.38 billion yuan ($15.8 billion), a growth rate of 7 percent. It moved up two spots to 21st among the top 100 counties and cities in terms of comprehensive strength in the "2023 China Small and Medium-sized Cities High-quality Development Index Research Results" published on Nov 18th.

From January to September, Qidong attracted 45 new projects with a combined registered capital of over 500 million yuan, including 17 major projects worth over 1 billion yuan. These projects serve as strong drivers of its high-quality development.

It has formed five major industrial clusters, including port-related industries, specialty industry, strategic emerging industry, service industry, and cultural tourism industry.

Port-related industries continue to grow, focusing on areas such as heavy machinery for shipbuilding, new energy and equipment, and port machinery.

The cultural tourism industry has become a new driving force behind Qidong's economic growth. The city receives an average of over 4.3 million tourists annually.