The "river tail and sea head" of the Yangtze River, the largest river in China, stretches along the economically developed and densely populated urban agglomeration in southern Jiangsu, and the large and small economically strong cities and counties are shining like stars. Among them, one county-level city is particularly prominent. Its economic development has been stable and surging. It has been ranked first in the basic competitiveness of the county economy in China for 21 consecutive years. It is Jiangyin, known as "the second county in China" and "the first county in China's manufacturing industry". In the other two major rivers of China, the Pearl River and the Qiantang River, there are also two strong manufacturing counties (districts) with a long history and profound cultural heritage, one is the South China Sea, the other is Cixi. At present, these three counties (cities and districts) are not only the leaders of Jiangsu, Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces, but also one of the strongest counties in China.

Jiangyin City is located in the "throat of the Yangtze River" in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The strategic advantage of this geographical location has brought endless opportunities for its development. As an important hub of Yangtze River shipping, Jiangyin is adjacent to Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and other major economic cities, sharing the dividends of Yangtze River Delta integration. This enables Jiangyin to quickly integrate into the development circle of regional economy while receiving the economic radiation of big cities, providing strong support for its own economic growth.

In 2023, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Jiangyin will be 496.051 billion yuan, second only to Kunshan and still ranking second in the country. This figure has exceeded that of most provincial capitals in central and western China. In 2023, Jiangyin's per capita GDP and per capita disposable income of residents will rank the forefront in domestic counties. By the end of 2022, Jiangyin has a permanent population of 1.784 million and a urban population of more than 800000, ranking among medium-sized cities; About 1/3 of them are "New Jiangyin people", making this ancient town full of vitality.

Cixi is located at the mouth of Qiantang River and the south bank of Hangzhou Bay. Its geographical location, climate and history are similar to Jiangyin. Cixi, located at the "crossroads" between Shanghai, Hangzhou, Yiwu and the main urban area of Ningbo, also enjoys the advantages of convenient transportation. Using the funds and technology provided by Shanghai and Hangzhou, as well as the global market provided by Yiwu, Cixi's private enterprises have grown up step by step from small workshops. Today, 98% of Cixi's total industrial output value above designated size, 91% of its tax revenue, 90% of its jobs and 100% of its high-tech enterprises all originate from the private economy. Thanks to its powerful manufacturing industry, Cixi has gathered 1.872 million people, and its urban population has exceeded 1 million. Cixi is already a large type II city. In terms of economy, Cixi is "the first county in Zhejiang". In 2023, its GDP will be 263.945 billion yuan, ranking sixth in the county economy of China.

Nanhai District, located in the hinterland of the Pearl River Delta, is one of the birthplaces of the Pearl River civilization and the core area of Guangfu culture. Nanhai has a history of more than 2200 years. Nanhai County was established in the Sui Dynasty, more than 1400 years ago. Similar to Jiangyin, the South China Sea is a pioneer area of reform and opening up. It has not only sustained rapid development for more than 40 years, but also created the "South China Sea Model" of coastal county economic development. In 2002, Nanhai was changed from a county-level city to a municipal district, covering an area of 1071.82 square kilometers, which is smaller than the county-level administrative regions in Guangdong. However, by the end of 2022, the permanent population of the whole district will be 3.655 million, and the registered population will be 1.7485 million, with a dense population. In 2023, the GDP of the South China Sea will be 393.05 billion yuan, ranking the eighth among the county-level administrative regions in Guangdong, where there are many "super strong regions" such as Nanshan and Tianhe.

In a sense, these three "river tail and sea head" ancient towns are the epitome of the economic development achievements of the three economically powerful provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong in the past decades, and are also the county signs of the most successful growth path in the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta.

In 2023, the GDP of Jiangyin will be close to 500 billion yuan, that of Nanhai will be close to 400 billion yuan, and that of Cixi will be less than 300 billion yuan. In terms of economic volume and industrial scale, the three strong counties do not seem to be at the same level. However, similar geographical location, historical accumulation, resource endowment and manufacturing advantages, and the same development stage, make the development history and regional positioning of Jiangyin, Nanhai and Cixi similar. What is the strength of "Jiangwei Haitou" three strong counties? Why can it stand out among many counties and cities? What are the same and different new bottle necks in the new era? In the arena with high-quality development as the new goal, what choices do they need to make?

"The second county in China" with slow pace

On May 11, 2024, the spring rain is whispering. In Shengang Street, Jiangyin City, on the south bank of the Yangtze River, Yuanjing Energy Plant, a fan with a height of more than 100 meters is rotating. The factory area is quite quiet, and the parking space on the roadside in front of the door is not full.

Nine kilometers away, dozens of professional steel and building materials trade logistics enterprises are not busy in the independent innovation and entrepreneurship block of New Changjiang Group, and some have even closed their doors for a long time.

In the first quarter of 2024, the revenue of Huaxi Shares in Huaxi Village, once the "best village in the world", dropped 3.81% year on year; Shuangliang, a famous energy equipment enterprise, saw a year-on-year decline of 22.25% in its revenue; The revenue of Sungrow, a famous textile enterprise, dropped 19.24% year on year.

In 2023, the GDP of Jiangyin City will be 496.051 billion yuan, an increase of 5.9% over the previous year, which is basically the same as that of Jiangsu Province. In this year, private investment in this economically strong county, which is famous for its active social investment, declined by 7.7%. The total import and export volume of the city was 157.291 billion yuan, the scale was the same as that of the previous year, of which the export volume was 105.239 billion yuan, a decrease of 2.1% over the previous year. The foreign trade volume of the main import and export commodities - textiles, clothing and chemicals both declined significantly, and the export of high-tech products grew negatively. Correspondingly, the output of most industrial products of "Jiangyin Manufacturing" declined, with the exception of photovoltaic cells, generator sets, civil steel ships, steel, etc; Corporate income tax revenue fell 6.3% year on year. The number of newly registered domestic capital market operators in the whole year was only 3.7% higher than that of the previous year, while that of Kunshan was 15.9%. In the same year, the retail sales above the designated size of the city decreased by 4.4%, and the total retail sales of consumer goods only increased by 1.9% over the previous year.

"The second county in China" is slowing down in some areas, but accelerating in others.

It is more than 10 kilometers away from the independent innovation and entrepreneurship block in Lingang, and the Qingguo Road Food Street in Jiangyin Old City is full of restaurants, gathering the flavor of all over the world. No matter at noon or at night, there is a continuous stream of diners, and the street is crowded with traffic, and the crowd will recede in the early morning.

Starting from Nanmen Station near Qingguo Road, take Wuxi Metro Line S1, which has been open for less than 4 months, to Jiangyin High Speed Railway Station, and then take the fastest high-speed railway to Nanjing, which takes only about 1 hour. "Jiangyin on the track" has accelerated the integration of "the second county of China", which was once at the "end" of the transportation in southern Jiangsu, into the half hour metropolitan area of Wuxi and the one hour metropolitan area of Nanjing.

Although Jiangyin still ranks second in terms of economic size in the country, the gap between Jiangyin and Kunshan, the first place, has narrowed. In 2023, the per capita GDP of Jiangyin will reach 278000 yuan, ranking at the forefront of the country's counties. In this year, the city's general public budget revenue increased by 9.5% over the previous year, of which the tax revenue was 21.102 billion yuan, an increase of 18.1% over the previous year; Foreign investment and investment from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan increased by 54.1% over the previous year, and the actual use of foreign investment reached a record high of 1.1 billion US dollars; The balance of deposits and loans of financial institutions across the city exceeded the trillion yuan mark for the first time. At the same time, there were two more listed companies in Jiangyin, with a total number of 61, still ranking first in the country.

Why did the "second county in China" slow down? Why does it still maintain a rapid pace in industries, investment and other fields?

Back to the end of the 20th century, Jiangyin has just entered the list of leading counties in China. At the turn of the century, the eastern coastal areas are in a period of rapid growth, and the counties in Jiangsu are "strong players" and "flowers bloom". At that time, Jiangyin was one of the most active counties in terms of the development of township enterprises nationwide. Huaxi Village, Sanfangxiang, New Changjiang... many village run and collectively owned large enterprises were among the best in the country. The city's economic strength ranked first among the "Four Small Dragons in Southern Jiangsu", the strongest in Jiangsu counties. In 2001, Jiangyin's GDP was 36.5 billion yuan, significantly higher than other "three dragons" - Changshu, Zhangjiagang and Kunshan. In 2001, with the transformation of Wuxi and Wujin counties from county-level cities to prefecture level municipal districts, Jiangyin ranked first among the top 100 counties in terms of GDP in China and became the first county in China. In 2002, the gross industrial output value of Jiangyin has exceeded 100 billion yuan, and the per capita GDP has reached the well-off standard. Up to that time, this county, which covers an area of less than 1000 square kilometers, has experienced rapid development for more than 20 consecutive years, and its economic aggregate has grown geometrically, realizing the leap from a major agricultural county to a major industrial county. As a result, the city has become a typical representative of the "Southern Jiangsu Development Model", known as the "Jiangyin Phenomenon".

In 2010, Jiangyin's annual GDP was surpassed by Kunshan for the first time, and the most advantageous traditional manufacturing industry was in trouble for the first time. In particular, the village enterprise group representing Jiangyin's economy no longer has the "magic" of the rapid debt expansion business model. Although emerging industries have begun to grow, most enterprises have limited access to scientific and technological innovation, financing and human resources, and are difficult to grow.

In the field of strategic emerging industries, Jiangyin started early. In 2006, Aikang Technology, a photovoltaic enterprise, was established and listed in 2011. In 2008, Wind Power Complete Machine Enterprise Vision Energy was established. At present, Aikang is one of the well-known enterprises in the field of heterojunction photovoltaic cells in China, but it has been surpassed by many rising enterprises. Although Vision has become one of the world's leading fan manufacturers, its core competitiveness is still insufficient.

Fast and slow are relative. In the past decade or even two decades, Jiangyin's development speed is not slow, but in southern Jiangsu, the Yangtze River Delta and the eastern coastal areas, many economically strong counties have developed faster. From 2001 to 2021, Kunshan's GDP expanded by 20.57 times in 20 years, ranking first among the top 20 counties (cities) in China; Jiangyin expanded by 12.55 times, only 60% of Kunshan.

Jiangyin's ever rapid growth was attributed to three important factors - geographical location advantage, optimization of industrial structure, and bright private economy.

Jiangyin is the starting point of the Yangtze River estuary. The river is wide and deep. Since ancient times, as long as the north and south are unified, this place is an important hub connecting both sides of the Yangtze River and a good port for river and sea transportation. In the process of economic development, Jiangyin pays attention to the optimization of industrial structure. On the one hand, enhance the competitiveness of traditional industries through technological transformation and industrial upgrading; On the other hand, actively cultivate emerging industries and create new economic growth points. This "two wheel drive" industrial development mode has enabled Jiangyin to maintain a leading position in the fierce market competition.

In the tide of economic development, Jiangyin's innovative development model has become a highlight. According to the data, 97% of enterprises in Jiangyin are private enterprises, which is extremely rare nationwide. It is this developed private economy that has bred more than 60 listed enterprises, covering six pillar industries such as iron and steel metallurgy, textile and clothing, vehicle and ship equipment, chemical fiber, machinery, etc., and also setting foot in emerging industries such as electronic information, new energy, new materials, biomedicine, etc. These enterprises are like bright stars, illuminating the economic development of Jiangyin.

However, there are still many constraints on the economic and social development of Jiangyin. First, the natural resources are insufficient, and the ecological environment space tends to be saturated. For example, mineral resources are extremely scarce. Although surface water resources are abundant, the cost of available water resources treatment is still high. Second, the traditional manufacturing industries, such as textile and clothing, metallurgy and shipbuilding, which are the pillars of Jiangyin's economy, hit the "ceiling", and the transformation and upgrading have not yet found a successful path. Third, the development of strategic emerging industries did not meet expectations, and the momentum was not sustainable. Although some enterprises rose, they did not form an industrial cluster with strong competitiveness. The strength and "sharpness" of deepening reform in this county, which started from the first reform, is declining, which has become its deep-seated bottleneck.

Inspiration from the development of Cixi, the first county in Zhejiang Province

Cixi, another strong industrial county in the Yangtze River Delta 250 kilometers away from Jiangyin, has embarked on a new path of transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry.

Similar to Jiangyin, Cixi has developed trade and a long manufacturing base in history. Unlike a large number of industrial cities in China that have benefited from administrative orders, Cixi's industry started from manual workshops and grew naturally. Today, the secondary industry still accounts for more than 60% of GDP, and it has developed deeply. Since the reform and opening up, most of Cixi's economic output has come from the manufacturing industry. In 2023, its industrial added value will account for 60.7% of the city's total economy. Cixi industry is not only large in scale, but also covers a wide range of industries. The household appliance industry is the strongest sector of Cixi's manufacturing industry. It produces about 60% of the world's small household appliances, and has formed a small household appliance industry cluster with complete categories and industrial chains. The market size of the entire industry exceeds 100 billion yuan. Famous brands such as Fang Tai, Bull, Zhuoli and Yueli have stood out from more than 10000 enterprises.

Entering the "14th Five Year Plan" period, the transformation and upgrading of Cixi's traditional manufacturing industry has accelerated, and high-tech industry has become a new support for the city's economic growth. According to statistics, Cixi's industrial enterprises above designated size invested 13.693 billion yuan in R&D last year, up 32.7% year on year. During the same period, the number of authorized patents in Cixi reached 17436, and the added value of high-tech industries above designated size reached 81.552 billion yuan. At present, Cixi has the largest number of national specialized and new "little giant" enterprises in Zhejiang and the Yangtze River Delta.

Leading enterprises face the latest market demand, accelerate the upgrading of traditional products, and significantly improve the added value; The industrial community has made efforts to build a "small giant", build a echelon cultivation chain of "technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises - high-tech enterprises - high-tech unicorns", and improve the overall technical level of the manufacturing industry. These are the two core experiences of Cixi's traditional industrial transformation and upgrading. In 2023, among the pillar industries in the city, the output value of electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing industry will increase by 8.6%, and that of automobile manufacturing industry will increase by 11.6%. In the first quarter of this year, the GDP of Cixi City was 63.04 billion yuan, up 6.9% year on year, ranking first among all counties (cities and districts) in Ningbo.

In contrast, the scale of Jiangyin's manufacturing industry is far larger than Cixi's, which not only has a large number of manufacturing enterprises but also has a large "size". The annual invoiced sales of companies such as Hailan Group and CITIC Taifu Special Steel exceed 100 billion yuan. As for the so-called "big tail", the pressure on the transformation and upgrading of Jiangyin's manufacturing industry is undoubtedly greater. In 2023, the sales rate of industrial enterprises above designated size in Jiangyin will be 96.1%, down 0.7 percentage points from the previous year.

In recent years, the transformation and upgrading of Jiangyin's manufacturing industry has also accelerated. So far, Jiangyin has 61 listed companies, ranking first in the country's counties; The total capital raised has exceeded 130 billion yuan, with a maximum market value of more than 300 billion yuan. Financing has been invested in traditional industries such as textiles and petrochemicals, as well as investment projects in emerging industries such as new materials, new energy and integrated circuits of traditional industrial enterprises. In 2023, the city will add 27 national specialized and special new "little giant" enterprises; The output value of high-tech industries is expected to increase by 7.5%; Xingcheng Special Steel became the first "lighthouse factory" in the global special steel industry, and Xingcheng Special Steel and New Yangzi Shipbuilding won the China Industrial Award. However, compared with the goal of high-quality development, the speed and intensity of this change is obviously far from enough in the face of a new round of competition among the eastern coastal economic strong counties.

"Mirror Learning" of the South China Sea in the "Double trillion" Area

Similar to Jiangyin and Cixi, the South China Sea is also famous for its powerful and complete manufacturing industry in Guangdong and the whole Lingnan region. Its predecessor Nanhai County and Nanhai City, from the beginning of reform and opening up to the beginning of 2003, have been among the "Four Little Dragons in Guangdong" with the most developed economy in the Pearl River Delta. However, unlike Jiangyin, emerging industries have become a new advantage of the South China Sea in the past decade.

In 2023, Foshan's total industrial output value above designated size will exceed 3 trillion yuan. Foshan has officially become the second prefecture level city in China and the first prefecture level city in Guangdong with an industry of 3 trillion yuan. Foshan is not a special zone, not a provincial capital, not a coastal city. With small administrative area and few resource elements, how can we create this miracle of industrial development? Foshan always sticks to the principle of building the city with manufacturing industry and adhering to the principle of manufacturing industry. After decades of development, Foshan has formed an industrial pattern of "five in three, nine out of ten", and two trillion clusters of pan household and equipment manufacturing have profound "industrial efforts". At present, there are 31 major industrial categories, more than 130 medium industrial categories, and more than 600 small industrial categories in Foshan. More than 90% of industries can be matched locally. Behind the new "double trillion" strong area is the accelerated rise of "100 billion industrial clusters" and "100 billion town street clusters" in the South China Sea. On the one hand, build three emerging 100 billion industry clusters, namely, information equipment manufacturing, hydrogen energy and ammonia hydrogen integration equipment manufacturing, and intelligent security emergency, and actively develop new quality productivity. On the other hand, the South China Sea has made it clear that we should focus on cultivating ecological leading chain leading enterprises and continue to tackle the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries.

In May this year, the South China Headquarters and R&D Center set up by the Motion Control and Drive Business Department of the world's largest motor manufacturer, Nitec Group (Nippon Electric), opened in the South China Sea. It is expected that more than 100 leading talents will be gathered to further promote the "strong chain repair" of the new energy industry in the South China Sea.

Not only in the South China Sea, but also in recent years, the growth rate of Cixi's emerging industries has begun to lead all industries. In the first quarter of this year, the added value of the city's artificial intelligence and high-end equipment industries increased by 45.0% and 12.6% respectively.

In fact, Jiangyin's emerging industries started earlier and have a good foundation. In 2023, the output value of the city's four strategic emerging industries of new energy, integrated circuit, high-end equipment and biomedicine will rise to 37%. Among them, high-end equipment has become the fourth 100 billion level industrial cluster in Jiangyin, and new energy is expected to become the fifth 100 billion level industrial cluster in 2025. In 2022, the proportion of the output value of strategic emerging industries in the industrial output value above the designated size will increase by 1.5 percentage points, and the revenue of the core industries of the digital economy will exceed 60 billion yuan. In addition, Jiangyin is actively incubating and cultivating five future industries, including 5G communication, intelligent manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental protection.

In 2023, Jiangyin's GDP will be 500 billion yuan. Under the current severe economic environment and market situation at home and abroad, the potential of traditional industries has been fully tapped. How to achieve higher goals in the future? The biggest driving force is emerging industries. However, no matter the scale, growth rate or driving force, Jiangyin's emerging industries are still not strong among the economically strong counties in China. How to fill this gap and really win new development opportunities? Since the 14th Five Year Plan, Jiangyin has chosen to focus on the development of advanced manufacturing, modern service industry and modern agriculture, strengthen scientific and technological innovation and talent introduction, and further optimize the business environment. At the same time, Jiangyin also actively integrates into the integrated development process of the Yangtze River Delta, strengthens cooperation and exchanges with surrounding cities, and jointly creates a world-class city cluster. Although it has achieved initial results, it still faces considerable pressure.

High level industrial park is a powerful "engine" for industrial innovation in Jiangyin. Jiangyin High tech Zone is the most typical one. The park belongs to the core area of South Jiangsu Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone. In recent years, the park has built a "1+3+1" modern industrial cluster characterized by special steel and new materials, supported by integrated circuits, biomedicine and high-end equipment, and with new energy as the strategy, gathering many leading enterprises in the industrial chain such as CITIC Special Steel, Changdian Technology, Shenghejingwei, etc; In the past three years, 10 national R&D institutions and 3 national scientific innovation carriers have been established, five "scientific innovation enclaves" have been set up in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Xi'an, international technology transfer centers have been set up in the United States, Germany and Sweden, and overseas innovation centers have been set up in Russia, Belgium and Kazakhstan. The output value of high-tech industries has climbed to 76.6%.

Jiangyin Huasheng Lithium Battery is a leading innovative enterprise in the lithium battery industry newly introduced by Jiangyin High tech Zone. The project will be put into construction after the Spring Festival this year. It is planned to produce 200000 tons of new low-energy and high-performance anode materials annually, with a total investment of 1.26 billion yuan. The first phase of the project is expected to be put into production in the fourth quarter of this year, and the annual sales revenue can reach 5.02 billion yuan after reaching the capacity.

Objectively speaking, in the past two decades, the choice of the development direction of emerging industries and the long-term cultivation and support for key industries are the "weak points" of the development of Jiangyin's emerging industries. For example, the Internet of Things industry, which Jiangyin High tech Zone focused on developing more than 10 years ago, is now difficult to find "sense of existence". Hairun and Junxin, once well-known photovoltaic enterprises, are struggling to survive because the former is close to delisting and the latter has lost competitiveness after acquisition.

Including new energy and the Internet of Things, many emerging industries in Jiangyin have been "opening high and moving low" for many years. One of the important factors is that the proportion of traditional manufacturing industry in the city is still large, and the development space of emerging industries, especially strategic emerging industries, is limited. Although the government has guidance, the actual support and cultivation are not durable enough, and there is a short-term orientation.

Stimulate strong momentum with "river and sea spirit"

Don't be afraid of risks, dare to try first, focus on the overall situation, and keep pace with the times. Jiangyin, Cixi and Nanhai, three economically powerful counties, have this "river sea spirit". The 12 words "people of the same heart, people of strong character, dare to climb, and create first-class" are the most appropriate description of the character of Jiangyin in modern times, and also the background of Jiangyin's sustained and rapid development. This fearless temperament of breaking through the waves is the typical embodiment of "Jianghai spirit" in southern Jiangsu. Cixi and Nanhai are the same.

Under the new pattern of high-quality development, both Jiangyin, Cixi and Nanhai are facing unprecedented pressure, and are also facing competition from more counties and even cities at a higher level. How to continue to lead the "first square" of China's county territory? Rejuvenating the "river sea spirit", deepening the reform and further opening up should be the starting point for the three strong counties of "Jiangwei Haitou" to once again "break the situation" and "establish the situation".

The key move to revitalize the "river sea spirit" is independent scientific and technological innovation oriented to the needs of the frontier market. In this regard, Jiangyin is brewing new breakthroughs.

First of all, the formation of Jiangyin "science and technology innovation T platform" with the entity framework of "one bay, one valley, one district and one port" has been accelerated. So far, more than 800000 square meters of science and technology innovation carriers have been built, and 25 new science and technology innovation platforms above the provincial level have been added. Xiakewan Science City is the most dazzling "star" of "T Platform". This science city named after "Xiakewan" is based on building an innovative ecosystem.

In Xiakewan Science City, Wuhan University, a famous 985 university in China, has set up a technology transfer center - the Yangtze River Delta Science and Technology Innovation Center to accelerate the incubation of cutting-edge technology research and development achievements with Jiangyin as the core area. Tian Hongpo, deputy director of the center, said that at present, there are only three similar sub centers of Wuhan University in China, and the other two are in Deqing, Zhejiang Province and Zhongshan, Guangdong Province. Why did you choose to set up the Yangtze River Delta Science and Technology Innovation Center in Jiangyin? Tian Hongpo said frankly that a strong industrial foundation is an important factor in choosing Jiangyin, and it is also to establish a connection platform between the "last mile" of scientific innovation and the "first mile" of emerging industry cultivation. This is the urgent need of Jiangyin. For more than a decade, the cooperation between Liu Sheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at Wuhan University, and Jiangyin Changdian Technology in the field of semiconductor chip research and development can be regarded as a successful example of cooperation between Wuhan University and Jiangyin in innovation for emerging industries.

In addition, Qishan Lake Science and Technology Innovation Valley is an "important child" of Jiangyin's southward development strategy. It puts ecology first, vigorously develops science and technology innovation industry, and feeds back governance investment with industrial development. The digital innovation port in the Yangtze River Delta (Jiangyin) relies on the scientific research and innovation platform of Jiangyin Campus of Nanjing University of Science and Technology, and focuses on building a digital economic industrial ecology led by industrial Internet.

"Toward the blue sea and at dusk Cangwu", Xu Xiake, a famous geographer in the Ming Dynasty, had the spirit of scientific exploration to travel around the world, which was not only an important cultural heritage of this ancient city in the south of the Yangtze River, but also a key symbol of its regional competition for "soft power" in contemporary development - "daring to be the first, innovative and pioneering".

However, even in the field of industrial scientific and technological innovation, Jiangyin still has a "bottleneck". 97% of the enterprises in Jiangyin are private enterprises, most of which have limited capital accumulation and weak anti risk ability, so they urgently need more and stronger services from investment and financing institutions. In 2023, there will be 243 registered equity investment funds in Jiangyin with a registered scale of 51.69 billion yuan, and the average registered capital of each fund will be only 200 million yuan. Up to now, most of the physical development of Jiangyin "sci-tech innovation T platform" lacks long-term low-cost investment and financing support, as does the key parks with traditional industrial clusters. This has become the biggest constraint of the city's new round of economic development.

Take Pratt&Lyle Pharmaceuticals as an example, the company has as many as 20 investors from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Qiong and other provinces and cities, but most of them are early stage venture capital companies, lacking professional pharmaceutical industry innovation funds, and the investment proportion of local shareholders in Jiangyin is small, so the actual financial support is insufficient.

The regional economic cooperation guided by the effective allocation of resources has been the unique institutional advantage of Jiangyin since the reform and opening up. For example, in the context of the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, the administrative barriers between the Yangtze River Delta and Jiangbei County have been broken down, and cross river integrated development has been achieved. However, in recent years, the pace of this system reform has also slowed down.

Take Jiangyin Jingjiang Industrial Park, the "enclave" of cross river development, as an example. The park, which was established in 2003, is located in the south of Jingjiang City, with a planned area of 60 square kilometers. It is a provincial economic and technological development zone jointly invested and developed by Jiangyin and Jingjiang, the first carrier of cross regional coordinated development in China, and the bridgehead of the Yangtze River Delta coastal development extending to central and northern Jiangsu. Today, there are still 40 kilometers to be developed along the 100 mile Jingjiang River, while the resources along the Yangtze River in Jiangyin have almost been exhausted. In September 2023, Wuxi and Taizhou signed the "Agreement on Accelerating the Construction and Development of Jiangyin Jingjiang Industrial Park". The new goal is to jointly promote the park's industry to rise to the middle and high end of the value chain and achieve high-quality integrated development.

Not only the integration across the river, but also the "Wuxi Chengdu integration" between Jiangyin and the main city of Wuxi is accelerating. The completion of Wuxi Metro Line S1 and Xiakewan Science City is one of the symbols. Through deepening reform and industrial transformation, Jiangyin's new vitality has begun to emerge.

In the past five years, cultural tourism and commercial consumption have quietly risen in the original "industrial city". The Jiangyin Qingguo Road Food Street, which was built around 2008, is adjacent to the time-honored Chaozongmen and Zhongyi Street, and has become a new brand of local leisure tourism, driving the development of modern service industry in this ancient town. In 2023, Jiangyin's total retail sales of social consumer goods will rank the forefront in the Yangtze River Delta counties, and will be awarded the first batch of "leading counties" in county commerce nationwide.

How to ensure green development is another key for the three strong counties of "Jiangwei Haitou" to practice the "Jianghai Spirit" in the new era. The ecological environment is an important support for both the upgrading of traditional industries and the cultivation and development of emerging industries.

The ecological environment of Jiangyin is constantly improving with changes visible to the naked eye. In 2023, the average concentration of PM2.5 and the ratio of days with good air quality in the city will continue to rise in the ranking of the province, and the proportion of 18 national and provincial sections with excellent water quality III will continue to maintain 100%.

Needless to say, Jiangyin, Cixi and Nanhai still need to deepen reform. As Jiangyin, the largest economy among the three strong counties, this demand is even more urgent. Over the past 40 years, Jiangyin has made bold reforms to get rid of the shackles of the traditional planned economic system, and achieved a leap from southern Jiangsu agricultural county to the "second county in China". Now, standing in the wind of the times, Jiangyin is in urgent need of showing the fearless temperament of striving to be the first and standing on the tide, and continuing to struggle in the storm to achieve high-quality development. This is undoubtedly the core of the future development of Cixi and the South China Sea. (Wang Junfeng)

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