The 2023 Zhangjiagang (Shanghai) Investment Promotion Conference is held. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhangjiagang, a county-level city in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, held a promotional event in Shanghai on March 3 to deepen cooperation with the metropolis.

The two cities signed agreements for 69 projects worth 36.4 billion yuan ($5.27 billion). The projects are related to sectors such as new energy, high-end intelligent equipment, biomedicine, and semiconductors.

Mayor of Zhangjiagang Cai Jianfeng gave a briefing on the city's industries, open economy, and urban and rural development. He also expressed hope that more entrepreneurs can start businesses in Zhangjiagang.

Presentations about Zhangjiagang's new energy, semiconductors, and cultural tourism industries were also given during the event.

Executives of several companies, including Porton Pharma Solutions Ltd and i-Kingtec, shared their impressions of Zhangjiagang and confidence in the city's future development.

Chen Hui, deputy general manager of Porton, said Zhangjiagang has an advantageous location and favorable conditions for the company's research and development and talent attraction. Porton will accelerate the construction of its projects in Zhangjiagang to generate benefits as soon as possible, Chen added.

Zhangjiagang and Shanghai have been cooperating since the 1970s and Zhangjiagang has been making efforts to involve itself in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region, which consists of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, said Han Wei, Party secretary of Zhangjiagang. To date, Zhangjiagang has attracted 150 Yangtze River Delta cooperation projects worth more than 120 billion yuan, Han added.

Zhangjiagang is currently focusing on strengthening cooperation with Shanghai on sci-tech innovation, industries, cultural tourism, and public welfare. The city is expected to be home to five 100-billion-yuan industrial clusters and several 10-biillion-yuan industrial cluster by 2025.