Wang Xiang, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee and secretary of SIP CPC Working Committee, led a group of SIP officials to Changshu City on November 10.

Changshu is located at lower reaches of the Yangtze River in southeast of Jiangsu Province with total land and water area of 1,276.32 square kilometers. During the first eight months this year, it recorded gross regional product of 125.8 billion yuan, general local budget revenue of 8.3 billion yuan, increasing year-on-year by 7.7% and 3.7% respectively. Its tax revenue totaled 6.9 billion yuan and the tax ratio registered at 83.1%.

At Changshu Switchgear Manufacturing

The visits included Changshu Switchgear Manufacturing, Qoros Auto, Chery Jaguar Land Rover, Sunan Heavy Machinery and Technology, Bosideng Group, Toyota R&D Center (China), Sany Changshu Industrial Park, as well as two scenic spots of Kuncheng Lake and Shanghu Lake.

Changshu Switchgear Manufacturing develops and produces high- and low-voltage electric components and switch gears. It has 800-million-yuan assets, 1,460 employees including 520 college graduates and 36 engineering masters. Its products have been extensively applied in nuclear power, iron and steel, petro-chemical, coal mine, airport, and subway. In 2011, it recorded total industrial output of 1,665 million yuan and 290 million yuan taxes.

At Qoros Auto

Qoros Auto is a joint venture founded by Cherry and Quantum Investment, a subsidiary of Fortune 500 Company Israel. The 15-billion-yuan project with total registered capital of 7.48 billion yuan (3.48184 billion yuan at present and will increase according to the plan) covers land area of 1,075 mu. The plan is to build a production complex with total construction area of 190,000 square meters for pressing, welding, coating, and assembling. The annual capacity of the production base is 500,000 passenger vehicles and that of phase-one facility is 150,000.

At Chery Jaguar Land Rover

Chery & Jaguar Land Rover Auto is a joint venture with annual capacity of 200,000 passenger vehicles (130,000 for phase-one). According to the plan, the 17.5-billion-yuan project covers a total land area of 1,216 mu and the first vehicle is to roll off the line in July 2014, reaching annual production of 73,000 vehicles in 2015 and 130,000 in 2019. The project will produce total sales of over 100 billion yuan from complete vehicles and auto parts.

At Sunan Heavy Machinery and Technology

Founded in 2006, Sunan Heavy Machinery and Technology develops and produces forgings and modern equipments for metallurgy. It invested two billion yuan in 2009 in a large forging project with 600 mu land and four plants of metalworking, forging, hot processing, and machining. The supporting facilities include four 2,000-ton docks and hinterland. Its products target at shipyard, power, petro-chemical, and metallurgical equipment manufacturing. During the first eight months this year, the Company recorded total sales of 3.81 billion yuan and a year-on-year growth of 138.4%.

At the exhibition hall of Bosideng

Bosideng International Holdings Limited is the biggest down apparel producer in Asia. It was certified as the first world brand of clothing in the country in September 2007 and gained China Industry Award in 2011. During 1995 through 2011, it was the leader in domestic sales for seventeen years in a row and its four brands took up nearly 40% of total domestic market share.

At the construction site of Toyota R&D Center (China)

With total investment of 689 million US dollars and registered capital of 234 million dollars, Toyota R&D Center (China) takes the mission of developing next-generation auto technologies as well as parts and complete vehicles using new energies. At the completion of the project, the Center will produce 3,000 R&D professionals in three to five years and the proportion of Chinese researchers will reach 85%. Some of its tasks include vehicle adaptability evaluation tests, development of molds and equipments, research of new-generation technologies, domestic supply of auto parts, and studies of global issues in cooperation with other research institutions. Local authorities believe that the project will greatly promote the development of energy-saving vehicles and the upgrading of auto industry.

At Sany Changshu Industrial Park

Sany Group is investing eight billion yuan in building an industrial park in Changshu to produce its high value core products, including slewing bearing, gear reducer, and hydraulic parts. The contract was signed in June 2008 and two-billion-yuan phase-one facility of 426 mu land area and 100,000 square meters of production area has been completed and achieved annual output of two billion yuan in 2011.

At Shanghu Lake Scenic Area

Shanghu Lake is one of the Top 10 charming lakes in China and there is a national wetland park here. Covering 800 hectares of water area and featuring the best water quality in Jiangsu Province, the resort appeals to a large number of tourists. One of its most popular activities is Peony Flower Festival held every spring for two decades.

Located in south Changshu, Kuncheng is the biggest lake in the city and the city government initiated an ecological restoration program in October 2006, removing the sludge, controlling the plants causing pollution, managing navigation routes, collecting domestic sewage, and monitoring the inlets. As a result, the discharge of industrial waste water went down by 75% and the water quality improves from Class five to three.

At the meeting with local administration

At the meeting held after the tour, Secretary Wang Xiang said he was impressed by the continuous and sustainable economic and social growth in Changshu during past years. This is the place, as he said, where culture has exerteded a profound impact on development and where tradition and modernity, economic growth and environment preservation, local business and incoming capital coexist in harmony. He hoped that Suzhou Industrial Park would learn from Changshu so as to consolidate its current achievements and create its regional competitive edges.

Special Coverage: Inspection and Survey