Lianyungang Special: Lianyungang to take lead in coastal cities in Jiangsu

When Wang Jianhua was appointed Party secretary of Lianyungang in 2005, locals hoped he was the long-awaited leader who would reform and invigorate the underdeveloped port city at the very northern tip of Jiangsu province.

He did not disappoint them. Today opportunities for unprecedented development have finally arrived in Lianyungang after years of struggle and neglect.

While southern Jiangsu along the Yangtze River has prospered through intensive industrialization and enormous foreign investment over the past two decades, the north lagged behind due to poor infrastructure and a weaker industrial base.