The port city of Zhangjiagang in East China's Jiangsu province posts a 2.8 percent growth in its gross industrial output value above designated size in the first three quarters of 2020. [Photo/VCG]

Zhangjiagang's gross industrial output value above designated size totaled 347.2 billion yuan ($52.36 billion) in the first three quarters of 2020, up 2.8 percent year-on-year, suggesting a stable and upward trend in the city's social and economic development.

Local authorities have said that the global spread of COVID-19 took a heavy toll on the city's economy earlier this year. Thanks to the government's efforts in epidemic prevention and control, as well as promoting economic and social development, the city's economy showed strong signs of recovery in the second quarter of the year.

The city's mechanical and electronic industry generated an operation revenue of 57.9 billion yuan in the January to September period this year, growing by 1.4 percent year-on-year. Automobile manufacturing also achieved slight growth in the period, according to Tang Jianyue, an official of the city's bureau of industry and information technology.

Tang said the metallurgical industry generated 212.1 billion yuan in revenue in the first three quarters of the year, a year-on-year increase of 3.4 percent.

Zhangjiagang will continue to roll out supportive measures to deal with the COVID-19 epidemic and socio-economic development in a coordinated manner, in an effort to offer strong support for the city's economic development in the upcoming 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.