[Video/Nantong International Communication Center]

Senior executives of multinational companies in countries such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Belgium visited Nantong, Jiangsu province, from Nov 16 to 18 to explore the city's dynamic industries and discuss cooperation.

The delegation's first stop was the Qidong Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, where the geographical advantages of Nantong were clearly displayed on the map, showcasing its position as a key gateway connecting the Yangtze River and the Yellow Sea.

The Qidong Marine Engineering and Shipbuilding Industrial Park, one of the stops in the city, is home to over 20 well-known marine engineering companies, including CIMC Sinopacific and Zhenhua Heavy Industries, forming a complete industrial chain ecosystem.

Nikolaos Pitsoulis from Greece expressed his amazement, saying that the trip to Nantong revealed the city's limitless possibilities in shipbuilding and marine engineering. "I will share what I have seen and heard in Nantong with Greek companies and encourage them to seek cooperation in China."

In Chongchuan district, the planning exhibition hall of the Shibei High-Tech Zone showcases a clear blueprint for the coordinated development of industries such as integrated circuits, automotive electronics, life sciences, and modern services. The complete industrial chains and coordinated industrial ecosystem make this area a hotbed for increased foreign investment. In 2024, the zone's total foreign trade volume reached nearly 13 billion yuan ($1.83 billion).

Ashutosh Tiwari, director of the Swedish Institute of Advanced Materials, said that they are very eager to collaborate with the local government to jointly strive for sustainable development and low-carbon industries.

Scania, renowned as the "king of the road" for its heavy trucks and buses, recently established its third global industrial production base in Rugao. "From land acquisition to project approval, the government made all processes smooth and efficient," said Amanda Liu, head of communications for Scania's Industrial Operations Asia. She acknowledged that the city's favorable business environment was one of the main reasons the company chose to invest in Nantong.