A delegation led by Zhang Yuefeng, secretary of the CPC Ma’anshan Municipal Committee, and Yuan Fang, mayor of Ma’anshan Municipal People’s Government, visited Liyang, Changzhou on July 8.

Chen Jinhu, secretary of the CPC Changzhou Municipal Committee, accompanied the delegation during the visit.

Changzhou of Jiangsu province and Ma’anshan of Anhui province, both involved in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) City Cluster, have established a profound friendship through long-term cooperation.

According to the development planning, the YRD region will become an international-level city cluster playing a leading role in China, with its sphere of influence covering the Asian-Pacific region.

In a meeting between the two sides, Chen Jinhu stated that Changzhou, oriented towards an international star city of intelligent manufacturing and a pivotal hub in the YRD region, has stressed efforts to promote the implementation of the �?32� strategy with the following targets:

- A hub for transportation, innovation, industrial and environmental development, and cultural tourism;

- A center for industrial sci-tech innovation, modern logistics, and leisure tours in the YRD; and

- A demonstration area for integrated urban-rural development and development-safety balance.

Chen hoped to explore more methods for cooperation with Ma'anshan, and share successful practices in the progress of high-quality development.

Zhang Yuefeng, impressed with Liyang’s achievements in ecological conservation, restoration of mined-out areas, and green economy development, expressed the will to extend cooperation with Changzhou in a joint effort to promote the plans of YRD Integrated Development and Nanjing Metropolitan Area.