Jiangsu province in East China has been forging ahead rapidly in opening up its economy and is poised to become more deeply involved in economic globalization.

Official statistics show that the province's imports and exports were nearly $540 billion in 2011, an increase of $74 billion from the previous year.

Private companies accounted for about 20 percent of the total. High-tech products comprised more than 40 percent of the province's exports.

Jiangsu has attracted more than 100,000 foreign-funded projects and ranked first nationwide in utilized foreign investment over the past nine consecutive years with the amount totaling $250 billion by 2011.

The rank is partially due to the province's large number of development zones, according to officials at the provincial government.

Jiangsu now has 128 development zones at or above the provincial level, 26 of them State-level, that together contributed about half of the province's GDP and three-quarters of its import and export volume in 2011.

With rich technological and human resources, the zones have been pioneers in initiating innovation and deepening reforms, officials said.

The environment for developing an open economy in Jiangsu has also seen steady improvement.

The market is playing an increasingly important role in allocating resources, while more laws and regulations have been promulgated. The local government is offering better public services and building sound infrastructure, they added.

Luo Zhijun, the province's top political leader, said governments at all levels in Jiangsu are to "unswervingly" open up the province's economy throughout the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) period to usher in a new chapter of development.

It is a necessary strategic choice to ensure a moderately prosperous life for Jiangsu people and a key measure to help handle challenges in the province's economic transformation as it maintains rapid and steady economic development, Luo said.

The provincial government has worked out plans for companies, cities and human resources as part of the effort to implement the strategy, he added.

The blueprint calls for Jiangsu-based companies to "tap the global market in an all-round way".

While offering favorable policies to help companies ensure stable and steady exports, the provincial government encourages them to enlarge their presence in the international market through a series of methods including taking over foreign enterprises.

It also encourages companies to better utilize global resources by setting up research and development departments in talent-rich regions, establishing plants in places with lower labor costs and launching joint development programs in resource-rich regions.

Companies are also urged to build their competitive edge by taking advantage of the province's leading position across the nation in education and research and development.

The governments at all levels in Jiangsu will enhance their ability in city planning and management by borrowing advanced experiences from abroad.

They will explore features different from those of other cities in the Yangtze River delta, improve urban infrastructure and build a better living environment in an effort to establish an open and tolerant atmosphere throughout the province.

Cities are also encouraged to promote themselves through attracting tourists and hosting major international events.

Lastly, governments will innovate the way they attract international human resources to enrich the province's talent pool and improve local educational systems to cultivate graduates with global perspectives.

Colleges and universities in Jiangsu are also encouraged to strengthen international academic exchanges to fuel the campaign.

Contact the writers at songwenwei@chinadaily.com.cn and lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn