New projects help Haimen move toward integration
Seventeen projects covering emerging industries such as medical precision machinery and new materials have been signed between Haimen District of Nantong City, in east China's Jiangsu Province, and Shanghai to fuel Haimen's integration into the Yangtze River Delta region.
With a total investment of nearly 30 billion yuan (US$4.39 billion), the projects inked on Monday also involve robotic research and cruise travel.
Haimen will build a cruise ship industrial park covering 3 square kilometers focusing on ship facilities, logistics and port services based on a luxury cruise ship project, the Haimen District government announced.
"There are many similarities between the two cultures of Haimen and Shanghai and their economic cooperation is deeply rooted," said Guo Xiaomin, governor of Haimen.
In the north of the Yangtze River Delta region, Haimen is an important connection point of Shanghai and south Jiangsu Province, and two major rail lines pass through it.
With unique river and sea resources, Haimen has stepped up efforts in upgrading its ecological green corridor along the Yangtze River and landscape belt along the Yellow Sea to make it a popular tourist destination among travelers in the delta region, said Guo.
It is sparing no effort to attract businesses to participate in lifestyle industries such as culture and innovation, modern business and trade, Guo said.
Haimen officials sign 17 projects in Shanghai.
The construction of a number of mega transportation projects, such as the Nantong new airport and the North Yanjiang high-speed railway connecting Shanghai and Hefei, which bypasses Shanghai's Chongming Island and will include the Haimen North Railway Station, will further cut the travel time between Haimen and Shanghai. The construction of the railway is expected to start within the year.
The Tongzhou Bay port will open to traffic next year, while the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge opened for vehicles on July 1.
Haimen has formed an industry cluster featuring traditional industries including textiles, architecture and electronic information, and emerging industries such as advanced equipment manufacturing, biomedicine and new material.
Among them, three have a scale above 100 billion yuan each, and the district aims to cultivate another three industries with the same scale within three to five years, Guo announced.
"National strategies such as the integration of the delta region and Yangtze River Economic Belt have provided unprecedented opportunities to Haimen," said Guo.
The district is creating a premium business environment and making its business approvals more efficient with tailored services and online material submission and review.
A total of 98 percent of business affairs in Haimen can be submitted and reviewed online, and it takes as little as one day to start a new business in the district.
There are more than 100,000 people native to Haimen studying, working or starting a business in Shanghai, and more than 20 million visits are made by people from Shanghai to Haimen every year, according to the district government.
