Pushing boundaries with new growth philosophy

Modern industrial parks bringing in massive investment as housing projects and environmental initiatives improve people's lives

Committed to following a new development philosophy, Hongshan subdistrict in Wuxi city, Jiangsu province, made remarkable progress in industrial development, people's well-being, ecology and rural vitalization in 2021.

As part of its efforts to bring high-tech enterprises together, the subdistrict announced a construction plan for Hongshan's modern industrial parks in May. They are to create three industrial parks focusing on biomedicine, integrated circuits and optoelectronics technology.

Eight industrial projects were signed with them, each with an investment of more than 100 million yuan ($14.26 million). Also, two projects surpassed 1 billion yuan and 500 million yuan in investment respectively.

From January to May, Hongshan attracted 54 new scientific and technological enterprises. Its incentives for researchers and policies in the commercialization of innovation outcomes have borne fruitful results; seven related contracts were signed with a total turnover of 180 million yuan.

According to the local government, the subdistrict has been providing enterprises with high-quality services to help them tap into their potential.

"We follow the enterprises' whole process of going public. So far, we have helped 10 enterprises and offered consulting and training courses," said a local official.

In the first half of 2022, the total industrial output value of Hongshan reached 11.76 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.62 percent. Its investment in fixed assets was 3.27 billion yuan, up 6.52 percent year-on-year.

Government data show that from January to May, its industrial investment stood at 287 million yuan with a year-on-year increase of 6.29 percent. Revenue generated by the wholesale sector reached 858 million yuan, up by 15.9 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, the total retail sales of consumer goods was 165 million yuan, surging 73.5 percent year-on-year.

"Our main economic indicators have achieved positive growth," a local official said.

In terms of meeting people's desire for a better life, Hongshan has taken various measures that have proved effective.

Government-subsidized housing projects involving a total of 2,216 apartments have been built over the past three years. Within this year, 2,400 new apartments will be delivered.

At present, the subdistrict's staff members have forged ties with 106 households who are on a government subsistence allowance, so as to provide prompt assistance.

Since January, a total of 210,600 yuan of allowances and 1.17 million yuan of two subsidies for the disabled have been paid out.

Villagers who struggled to pay their medical bills now have access to insurance specially designed for them by the government.

In Hongshan, some of its roads were updated and grocery stores were renovated. Old residential areas underwent regeneration, a healthcare service center was built and a school opened.

A subdistrict-level intelligent garbage supervision system started operating, which was the first of its kind in Wuxi. Public spaces such as recreation rooms, meeting rooms and libraries were set up in communities.

The subdistrict has also held musical performances as well as events celebrating the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar.

Hongshan has also made notable progress in environmental governance.

Local officials have urged 14 enterprises that produce air pollutants to make changes and 18 enterprises to update their facilities. These efforts have improved air quality and placed Hongshan among the leading subdistricts in this effort.

According to local officials, from January to May, 80 percent of the subdistrict's annual environmental protection tasks were completed, and 90 percent of monitored local river areas reported a water quality at or above national standard.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), 600 enterprises were shut down because of environmental contamination and damage caused, and 185 enterprises were upgraded to meet the national standard.

With regard to rural vitalization, Hongshan has completed construction of a 33.33-hectare demonstration farm using few chemical fertilizers.

A number of old sites in villages have been turned into spots promoting the integration of agriculture, culture and tourism.

Moreover, Wuxi Urban Construction Development Group has teamed up with Syngenta Group, a Swiss agrochemical firm, to set up a farm with futuristic ideas.

Not resting on its laurels, Hongshan has released its plan for the second half of this year. "We adhere to a people-centered philosophy. We will share the outcomes of development with our residents," a local official said. "We will continue to build government-subsidized housing and improve the infrastructure in villages.

"To offer better services to residents, we will leverage resources to communicate with the public and guarantee security at work and in life."

He continued: "High-quality rural vitalization is crucial to promote common prosperity. We will increase the area of high-standard cropland by 80 hectares and integrate sightseeing and rural homestays into our agriculture.

"The living conditions in rural areas will be improved with the help of five ongoing upgrade projects and a demonstration village project. Bed-and-breakfast brands and hotels are welcome to open their outlets in Hongshan."