Xinghua is an iconic water city in Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfabu]
Over the past five years, Xinghua, a millennia-old water city in Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu province, has made a transformative journey toward high-quality development, achieving a series of remarkable economic milestones.
The city's GDP and industrial sales are both projected to exceed 130 billion yuan ($19.2 billion), marking a significant leap forward.
Xinghua has strategically focused on intelligent transformation and digitalization to upgrade its industries, such as stainless-steel products and health foods, to higher value chains.
The city now leads Taizhou in the number of industrial enterprises above designated size — those with an annual revenue of at least 20 million yuan — and national high-tech enterprises.
It has also achieved its targets for provincially recognized specialized and innovative enterprises and green factories ahead of schedule.
The marine equipment and special alloy materials industry cluster has become Taizhou's first national-level small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) characteristic industry cluster, while its seasoning products have been recognized as Taizhou's first Chinese consumer brand in the region.
The city's industrial strength has significantly increased through digital and intelligent empowerment. Dainan town has been approved as a provincial-level high-tech industrial development zone and, along with the Xinghua Economic Development Zone, recognized as a national green industrial park.
In the past five years, Xinghua has added 22 national specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises, 506 national high-tech enterprises, and 191 provincial-level specialized and innovative SMEs. The city has established one national enterprise technology center and 44 provincial-level enterprise technology centers, with high-tech industry output accounting for 33 percent of the total industrial output generated by enterprises above designated size.
Green development has progressed steadily in Xinghua, with nine national and 42 provincial green factories established. The number of major industrial projects launched in Jiangsu has steadily increased, while the number of key industrial projects in Taizhou has reached new heights. For three consecutive years, the growth rate of private investment has ranked first in Taizhou.
Xinghua's urban landscape has been meticulously transformed, improving living conditions for local residents. Agricultural and rural development has advanced significantly, with all 472 villages achieving annual collective income exceeding 500,000 yuan. The per capita disposable income growth of farmers has surpassed the provincial average for four consecutive years.
In addition, the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism has deepened. The Lixiahe National Wetland Park has been established, Shagou town has become Taizhou's only newly approved national 4A-level tourist attraction, and Dongluo village has been recognized as the province's only "Best Tourism Village" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.