The autumn weather is crisp and clear, with a brilliantly blue sky. On the morning of the 30th, a centralized groundbreaking ceremony was held for social undertakings in the Central Innovation Zone, marking the entry of our city’s Central Innovation Zone construction into a new phase of full-scale implementation. Lu Zhipeng, Secretary of the CPC Nantong Municipal Committee, and Han Liming, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, delivered speeches. Huang Weidong, Chairman of the Municipal Political Consultative Conference; Zhang Zhaojiang, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee; Zhuang Zhongqiu, Executive Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People’s Congress and Deputy Secretary of its Party Leadership Group; as well as other leaders from the city’s four leading bodies and relevant departments, attended the ceremony. Zhang Xiangyang, Chairman of the Group Company, and Zhong Yiming, Deputy General Manager and General Manager of the Third Branch Company, attended the event as representatives of the construction contractor. The centralized groundbreaking ceremony was presided over by Vice Mayor Lu Weidong.

　　Lu Zhipeng, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, announced the simultaneous commencement of several key projects. Today’s projects—covering both construction and design—include the Medical Complex (Phase I), Nantong Grand Theater, Nantong Art Museum, Innovation Primary School No. 1, and Innovation Junior High School, with a total land area of 656 mu and a total floor area of 610,000 square meters, representing a planned total investment of RMB 5.42 billion. Notably, Innovation Primary School No. 1, whose construction has been awarded to the Third Branch of our Group Company, occupies 80 mu of land, features a building area of 43,000 square meters, and involves an investment of RMB 250 million. Over the past year and more, the planning framework for the Central Innovation Zone has accelerated its development, infrastructure projects have been launched in an orderly manner, and the zone’s external influence has continued to grow. The five projects inaugurated today encompass both functional facilities and landmark developments that will define the city center, further enhancing the city’s capabilities in healthcare, culture, education, and other public services, promoting balanced regional development, and injecting new momentum into the city’s transformation and upgrading. The simultaneous start of these five projects marks the entry of the Central Innovation Zone into a new phase of comprehensive construction and represents a significant step taken by our city to earnestly implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China through concrete actions.

　　The development of the Central Innovation Zone is a major strategic decision made by the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government to align with Jiangsu’s “One Center, One Base” initiative, the “1+3” functional-zone strategy, and efforts to connect with and serve Shanghai. It is a 17-square-kilometer Nantong-specific “science-and-tech innovation special zone” built to high standards, from a high starting point, and at a high level. Within the zone, priority is given to developing four major centers—science and technology innovation, cultural creativity, medicine, and conventions and exhibitions—to accelerate the cultivation of dynamic, leading-edge innovation-driven growth poles, and to strive to establish the zone as Nantong’s core area, demonstration zone, and premier district for the city’s future. Since its launch last September, the Central Innovation Zone has benefited from innovative thinking and determined problem-solving at both the municipal and district levels, with concerted efforts to expedite all related work and achieve a strong start. To date, the zone’s controlling detailed plan—including 16 specialized plans—was approved by the Municipal Government last month; construction has commenced on the centrally located Central Park landscape project; Zilang Lake is already taking shape; and construction has begun on more than ten municipal roads and other key infrastructure projects.

　　The development of the Central Innovation Zone is of paramount importance to overall development and the well-being of the people. In her address, Mayor Han Liming stated that over the past year and more, the city and district levels have worked in concert around the construction of the Central Innovation Zone, adopting innovative approaches, overcoming tough challenges, accelerating the establishment of a comprehensive planning framework, systematically launching infrastructure projects, and steadily expanding the zone’s external influence—thus achieving a strong start. Mayor Han emphasized that social-service projects within the Central Innovation Zone involve substantial investment and attract widespread attention; therefore, it is imperative to adhere to high-standard design, efficient construction, and high-quality management, embodying a “craftsman spirit” to build a brand that will endure for centuries. To achieve this, we must deliver high-quality, exemplary projects that rigorously uphold quality standards, highlight Nantong’s unique urban charm and architectural style, and showcase the city’s renowned prowess in construction; we must prioritize people-centered design, ensuring that every project is conceived with the goal of enhancing residents’ quality of life and maximizing its value in serving urban dwellers and attracting high-end resources; we must ensure safety at every stage, embedding robust safety management into each project, each phase, and each work process to achieve an organic integration of speed, quality, and safety; we must uphold integrity throughout the entire process, implementing closed-loop management to guarantee openness, transparency, and accountability; and we must promote civilized construction practices, setting a benchmark for orderly site operations and effective dust-control measures.

　　Representatives from the project owner and the participating construction units each delivered statements.

　　(General Manager’s Office, Guo Qiyun)