NETDA's Nengda Business Zone, with a planned area of 15 square kilometers, combines business, services, R&D and sightseeing. It will focus on the headquarters economy, software and service outsourcing and creative industries. Photos Provided to China Daily

A competition for making zongzi - or glutinous rice dumplings - held for foreigners in the Nantong Economic & Technological Development Area.

Attractive as gateway to Yangtze, home to a range of modern industries

As one of China's first 14 national development zones, the Nantong Economic & Technological Development Area in Jiangsu province is now a center of modern equipment manufacturing, electronics, biomedicine, new materials development and modern services.

Its advantageous location, infrastructure and competitive investment environment have made the area attractive to investors.

Strategically positioned at the gateway of the Yangtze River delta, NETDA offers convenient transportation and logistics solutions to tap the potential of many sectors both in China and overseas.

The Su-Tong Yangtze River Bridge is centrally located in the area, some 100 kilometers from the estuary of the Yangtze River, linking the area with the international metropolis Shanghai and the rest of southern Jiangsu.

The 1,088-meter-long, cable-stayed bridge had the longest main span in the world until July, when it was surpassed by the newly completed Russky Bridge in eastern Russia with its main span of 1,104 meters.

The area is also the hub of a number of highways, expressways and railroad networks. It takes only an hour to drive to Shanghai and three hours to a number of other major cities in the Yangtze River Delta.

Nearby Nantong Port is a member of the International Shipping Association and a member port of the Shanghai International Shipping Center. With an annual cargo handling capacity of nearly 200 million tons, it is the second-largest port along the Yangtze River, and among the top 10 largest nationwide.

The nearest airport Nantong Airport is 15 km away from NETDA and has flights to many major domestic cities including Beijing, Dalian, Guangzhou and Qingdao. Airfreight express is also available to all over the world via Beijing, with freight from Nantong to Beijing free of charge.

The Shanghai-Nantong railroad and two additional bridges under construction will help the area "better serve as a regional hub connecting the north and south of China", said the management of the area.

Overseas investors from more than 30 countries and regions have been attracted to NETDA, with more than 700 projects and total investment of around $10 billion. More than 60 of the overseas companies are among the Fortune 500.

Key industries in the area include textiles, electronics, modern equipment manufacturing, new materials development and service outsourcing, which together generate annual output value of more than 100 billion yuan ($16 billion).

Five industrial parks are planned for the NETDA along with business areas and a bonded area.

The Nengda Business Zone, with a planned area of 15 square kilometers, combines business, services, R&D and sightseeing functions. It will focus on the headquarters economy, software and service outsourcing and creative industries.

The city of Nantong has plentiful water and electricity supplies. Two water plants in the city provide water to NETDA, with a daily capacity of more than 400,000 tons. NETDA is the only development zone in China to have two water supplies from more than one plant.

There are five 110-kilovolt transformer stations and one 220-kilovolt transformer station in the area providing non-stop power to local companies for varied uses.

Other facilities in the area, including roads, gas and heat pipelines, rainwater and sewage treatment systems and telecommunication and TV networks, are also well-equipped.

zhangzhao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/09/2012 page12)