IoT, smart manufacturing new 'driving force' of Wuxi

Huang Qin, right, mayor of Wuxi city in East China's Jiangsu province, speaks during a media interview on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia on March 27, 2019 in Boao, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wuxi, the historical city with eye-catching scenery located in East China's Jiangsu province, is revving up development in innovative industries such as the internet of things and intelligent manufacturing, Mayor Huang Qin said during a media interview on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia.

The city, recognized as the most livable city three years running by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, aims to boost new sectors — including a new generation of intelligent technology, new energy and high-end equipment manufacturing.

According to Huang, the city's GDP reached 1.14 trillion yuan ($170.2 billion) last year, ranking 14th nationwide, with a per-capita GDP of 174,300 yuan, the second-highest in China. The city invested 2.85 percent of its GDP in research and development last year, with R&D expenses by enterprises taking up 1.73 percent of sales revenue, topping the whole province.