The Taicang Port, located at the intersection of the Yangtze River Economic Zone and the Coastal Economic Belt, plays an important role in the county's economic growth. [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]

Taicang in east China's Jiangsu province has witnessed a leap-frog development in the past five years with per capita GDP reaching $2,4467.8 in 2016, exceeding that of Beijing and Shanghai.

The county is ranked among the top ten of China's top 100 counties as its GDP, general public budget revenues, and industrial output were estimated at 115.513 billion yuan ($17.38 billion), 12.771 billion yuan, and 255.026 billion yuan respectively with development within the past five years.

According to official reports from Taicang Economic and Information Commission, the county's development mode has changed from quantity-driven to quality-driven and it has concurrently laid emphasis on emerging industries such as high-end equipment, biomedicine, and new material.

Additionally, the county has seen drastic changes in its service industry, innovation capacity and soft power during the past five years.

Eight service industry clusters including Taicang Logistics Park have been formed, leading to a 9.7 percent increase of added value to its service industry amounting to 53.45 billion yuan in 2016. The logistics industry has become a key part of Taicang growth, contributing to 10 percent of its GDP.

Seventy-three high-tech enterprises were established in Taicang last year, raising the total number of high-tech start-ups in the region to 280. An additional five national and nine provincial sci-tech innovation carriers were added.

Due to its innovative strength, Taicang has received numerous awards and citations including the national demonstration city for the construction of harmonious communities, and an honor of six-star city of charity index issued by China Charity Information Centre.