Five deals promoting the cooperation of Wuxi, Suzhou and Changzhou were inked in Wuxi on Nov 24 during a forum about the integrated development of the three cities.
According to the deals, Wuxi's Xinwu district and Suzhou's Xiangcheng district will promote regional cooperation, while Wuxi's Liangxi district and Changzhou's Wujin district will cooperate on solid waste disposal and integrated use of resources.
The three cities will also promote integrated development on transportation, technological innovation and credit application.
During the forum, heads of the three cities witnessed the commencement of construction of the Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou section of the Provincial Highway 340.
Located in southern Jiangsu, the 157-kilometer Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou section starts from the National Highway 204 in Dayi town, Changshu in the east, passes through Wuxi and Changzhou to the west, and ends at Jurong town, Zhenjiang.
Officials said that the project is expected to greatly shorten the time required to travel between the three cities and promote the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.
The cooperation on technological innovation was also highlighted at the forum. The three cities will work together to build Taihu Bay into a science and technology innovation zone.
The three cities will jointly release technical requirements, organize scientific and technological research for universities and research institutes in the Yangtze River Delta, promote breakthroughs on leading industries such as integrated circuits and biomedicine, and introduce talents and projects to enhance the competitiveness of regional science and technology innovation, according to the deal.