Chen Yijun, secretary of the CPC Taizhou Municipal Committee, delivers the work report at the the third plenary session of the fifth Taizhou Municipal Congress of the Communist Party of China on Jan 3. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Taizhou, a coastal city in East China's Zhejiang province, is set to ride the wave of the country's new round of reform and opening-up, push forward modernization of its bay area with a pioneering spirit and continue to forge ahead on the path of high-quality development, a government report said.

The report was delivered by Chen Yijun, secretary of the CPC Taizhou Municipal Committee on Jan 3 at the third plenary session of the fifth CPC Municipal Congress.

According to Chen, Taizhou had achieved remarkable economic growth over the past four decades, during which its GDP recorded 13.2 percent average annual growth rate, outpacing the national number, which stood at 9.5 percent. Its level of urbanization had surged to 62.2 percent, with all its residents lifted out of poverty over the period.

Not resting on its laurels, the city, in 2019, will focus on its robust private sector and advanced manufacturing capabilities, the report said, adding that more efforts shall be made to promote the development of its pillar industries in addition to phasing out backward capacities.

Meanwhile, it will strengthen its attractiveness as a hotspot for investment by optimizing business climate and infrastructure while making the construction of a modernized bay area in the city as its strategic driver of its economic growth in the coming years.