The Kunshan Convention & Exhibition Centre, where the China International Import Expo will be held starting March 29.

Kunshan, in East China's Jiangsu province, has launched a series of key electronics projects, including a program to develop and promote the next generation of thin-film-transfer liquid crystal displays, known as TFT-LCD for short.

The move is expected to create an optoelectronics industrial cluster with an annual output of some $50 billion, making the city China's No 1 production base for flat-panel displays.

The city is also home to Huaqiao International Service Business Park, a provincial development zone specifically for developing the local modern service industry, and Kunshan Software Park. The two combined now house the regional headquarters of more than 50 foreign companies.

Emerging industries are thriving in the city now where industrial bases are starting to take shape in sectors such as biological research, renewable energy and robots.

City leaders partly attribute the city's success to its capacity for innovation.

Kunshan has for five years in a row topped the list of the most innovative Chinese cities at the county level released by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Each year, the city invests 2.5 percent of its GDP into research and development, so it took the lead in the number of invention patents per capita among all cities in Jiangsu province.

The city hosts six universities despite its relatively low population of nearly 1.6 million, over 66 percent of which are migrants.

In addition, it enjoys partnerships with many universities of world renown, including Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Duke University is even building a new campus here.

The city has attracted 6,700 projects from 56 countries and regions, of which 83 have investments from Fortune 500 companies.

Over the past years, it has utilized foreign capital totaling more than $19 billion and contributes 3 percent of China's total trade volume each year.

Kunshan, topping the Forbes China List of Best County-Level Cities for three straight years, is also known for its livable environment.

Its Zhouzhuang, nicknamed the Venice of the East, is one of the most famous water townships in China, noted for its profound cultural background and elegant watery views.

Kunshan has 26 forest and wetland parks and a 44 percent urban greening rate, contributing to the harmonious coexistence of man and nature in this historical city.

In 2010, Kunshan was recognized for its environmental quality with the UN Habitat Scroll of Honor Award.

The year 2012 is vital for Kunshan's modernization. It is expected to develop new strategies and strengthen its advantages in a bid to build itself into a livable city featuring modern international industry and Chinese-style happiness.

zhoufurong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/28/2012 page24)