Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area, or the NETDA – located in Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province – ranked first in the city's project construction evaluation in the first quarter.

In the first quarter of this year, 59 new industrial projects worth more than 500 million yuan ($73.91 million) each started construction in Nantong. The actual foreign capital used in the city was $1.11 billion.

Since the beginning of the current year, NETDA held more than 150 investment activities online, and 42 projects with a total investment of 35.9 billion yuan have been signed into effect.

NETDA also provides life-long services to resident projects and enterprises – from early-stage negotiations and site selection to construction and final operation.

A major lithium battery diaphragm production plant of the Shenzhen Senior Technology Material Co Ltd broke ground on Feb 8 in NETDA.

Before finally choosing NETDA to expand its business, the company negotiated with more than 10 other cities. NETDA stood out for its impressive and considerate services, according to Liu Rui, director of operations.

After it signed off on the project on June 16 last year, NETDA immediately set up a special team to help the company deal with the examination and approval procedures before it started construction.

As a result, work kicked off four months earlier than expected.