Nantong prioritizes quality of life as economy grows. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]
Nantong announced its 14th Five-Year Plan and goals for 2035 at the 13th Plenary Session of the 12th Nantong Municipal People's Congress Dec 28.
In the next five years, it will work to boost innovation and entrepreneurship and become a hub of advanced manufacturing in the Yangtze River Delta region with a comprehensive transportation network and modernized city governance.
The city will work toward higher-quality economic growth by building a world-class advanced manufacturing industrial cluster, optimizing the local industrial structure, deepening reforms and opening-up, promoting sci-tech innovation, attracting more professionals, facilitating regional cooperation, and improving the business environment.
Nantong will also work toward environmentally friendly development by optimizing the use of natural resources, emphasizing environmental protection, strengthening environmental management, and promoting environmentally friendly lifestyles.
In addition, the city is prioritizing improving its quality of life. A slew of measures will be taken to create jobs, improve public services, optimize the social security system, and enhance the quality of education, healthcare, and elderly care.
The city will emphasize cultural development as well by hosting various cultural activities, strengthening the protection of local intangible cultural heritage items, and building the city's cultural brand.
Nantong will also improve its government efficiency, including law enforcement, emergency response, and natural disaster prevention.
The NETDA Free Trade Zone got the original go-ahead, on Jan 3, 2013, from the State Council, for a 5.29-sq-km area, in two parts.
Suzhou-Nantong science & technology industrial park
Equipment manufacturing industrial park
Urban-rural commercial zone
Nengda central business district
New materials industrial park
Medical treatment & health industrial park
Sci-tech industrial park
Precision machinery industrial park