The Economic Belt along Yangtze River includes 8 municipalities namely Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Yanzhou, Taizhou and Zhenjiang. It covers an area of more than 30% of the whole province. The population of this area is more than 40 million.

The general objectives in this area during the period of the Ninth Five-year Plan and till the year of 2010 are to give the full play of the technological and geographical advantages of this region, to speed up the collaboration with other areas in the Yangtze River Delta and the coastal areas headed by Shanghai in opening up to the out world and economic development, to make a big stride forward in changing the patterns of economic development and enhancing the economic performance and efficiency; to set up a high and new technology industrial belt along the Shanghai-Nanjing railway; to establish basic industrial belt along Yangtze River; to take part in high-level international economic cooperation and competition; to join in the exploitation of Pudong, Shanghai with accelerating the construction of Lusi Port and Taichang port, so as to form new economic increasing points and promote and radiate the development of Huaihai region.