Lan Shaomin (right), a member of the Standing Committee of Jiangsu Province and Party secretary of Suzhou, and Hui Jianlin, vice-governor of Jiangsu unveil the plaque for the Sino-Japanese (Suzhou)?Regional?Cooperation?Demostration?Zone in Suzhou’s Xiangcheng district, on July 5. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The plaque for the Sino-Japanese (Suzhou)?Regional?Cooperation?Demostration?Zone was unveiled in Suzhou’s Xiangcheng district, on July 5, with its strategic direction and overall plan announced.

The overall plan for the Sino-Japanese (Suzhou)?Regional?Cooperation?Demostration?Zone is released in Suzhou’s Xiangcheng district, on July 5. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The central part of the zone, which covers an area of 38.5 square kilometers has already started construction, with 58 Japanese-funded projects already agreed for companies including Mizuho Bank, Itochu Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries –– and more than 150 additional projects are expected to be signed soon.

Next, taking full advantage of Suzhou’s advanced and complete manufacturing system, as well as Xiangcheng’s convenient transport links, the zone will place more emphasis on providing specific preferential policies and improve its supporting supplies and infrastructure to attract more Japanese investors, with the goal of building itself into a leading platform for cooperation with Japan.

The district’s additional 228 projects worth 91.4 billion yuan ($12.98 billion), which mainly involve advanced manufacturing and high-end service industries were also launched at the event, with each project either signed or construction work beginning.