Witnessing Jiangsu's pursuit of green, high-quality development

China's journey toward modernization and innovation is in full swing. Over the past decades, since the launch of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, China has achieved tremendous achievements in social and economic development.

Due to these reforms, China has successfully transformed into an innovation powerhouse, a manufacturing hub and the second-largest economy in the world. It has established a strong ecosystem with complete industrial, physical and digital infrastructure systems.

Now, China's reform and opening-up has entered into a crucial stage. China has shifted its focus to high quality and eco-friendly development. Its attention is now on producing more high-tech and intelligent products. Its high-tech industries including new energy vehicles, 5G and photovoltaics are highly competitive and are enjoying a strong growth all over the world.

I recently joined a trip with a group of foreign journalists from different countries to East China's Jiangsu province and witnessed the region's rapid high-quality economic and social development.

We visited most vibrant cities of the province including Nanjing, Yangzhou, Wuxi and Suzhou and obtained a deep insight into Jiangsu's rich history, culture and high-quality development and its journey toward modernization and innovation.

During the trip, I saw how deep-rooted governance guided by the Communist Party of China is bringing prosperity, happiness and welfare to the people. The vital improvement can be observed in the all spheres of life in the province due to the innovation and modernization.

Jiangsu, located in the Yangtze River Basin, was the cradle of civilization in ancient China. Historical and ancient cultural heritage is well protected, promoted and presented with the application of modern technologies.

It is covered with a dense network of lakes and rivers and reservoirs. Specialty produce, including high-quality rice and seasonal fruits and vegetables, is grown and cultivated throughout the province. It also harvests fish, shrimp, crabs, shellfish, seaweed, and other seafood on a massive scale.

Jiangsu has made significant strides in constructing a modern industrial system, with advancements in both industrial base upgrading and industrial chain modernization.

According to the official data, Jiangsu's high-quality manufacturing development index reached 91.9, ranking first in China.

In 2023, Jiangsu recorded a regional GDP of 12.82 trillion yuan. The per capita GDP surpassed 150,000 yuan, and the number of its cities with a regional GDP exceeding 1 trillion yuan increased to five. Total imports and exports reached 5.25 trillion yuan.

Jiangsu is making heavy investment in research and development, accounting for about 3.2 percent of regional GDP in 2023. Furthermore, the number of invention patents per 10,000 people reached 62.1. These figures indicate Jiangsu's commitment to innovation.

The province boasts over 51,000 high-tech enterprises with technology contract turnover exceeding 460 billion yuan. Jiangsu has achieved great success in rural and urban revitalization. It now has the most modern and strong high-tech industrial base. Induction of 5G, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies have made the industrial system most efficient and competitive.

These achievements show Jiangsu's firm resolve in application of new quality productive forces to create most innovated products and services.

Jiangsu's cities are actively promoting ecofriendly development and wellbeing of the people by taking concrete steps.

Nanjing, the capital of the province, has become a significant birthplace of modern industry in China. Its four pillar industries, namely steel, petrochemicals, automobiles, and electronics greatly contribute to the local and national economy.

Yangzhou, which is renowned for its picturesque beauty and livable environment, is a glowing illustration of green development. The city boasts a green coverage rate of nearly 45 percent in its built-up areas. Its rice, fruits and tea is famous due to unique and delicious tastes.

Since 1990s, Yangzhou's industry has flourished in eight major sectors including automobiles, shipbuilding, chemicals, garments, diesel engines, containers, air conditioners, and other specialized industries are driving its economic growth.

Wuxi is also renowned for its economic prowess, recognized as one of the birth places of China's national industry and commerce. Wuxi actively fosters the development of cutting-edge industries such as the Internet of Things, integrated circuits, and biomedicine.

While, Suzhou, renowned as the city of gardens, embraces openness and international cooperation, which is evident from its various platforms for foreign engagements including the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, the China-Japan Local Development Cooperation Demonstration Zone and others.

Jiangsu, being an intersection point of the Belt and Road Initiative, is also promoting cooperation to achieve win-win results. It carried out 262 new investment projects in countries along the BRl. The import and export value solely among countries involved in the BRI reached $223 billion in 2022.

Pakistan's cooperation with China including with Jiangsu is also increasing under the BRI in different sectors. Pakistan will focus on enhancing and modernization of the industrial sector during the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is considered an important pillar of the BRI.

It is hoped that Pakistan's cooperation with Jiangsu in the industrial sector will also increase in future. Pakistan can learn from China experience to modernize its industrial sector. Pakistan can further enhance cooperation with Jiangsu in the areas of agriculture, textile, culture and education sectors for win-win results.

Writer is a research scholar and journalist based in Islamabad, Pakistan. 

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