NANTONG, China (Kyodo) The late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1984 founded the Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area and 13 other coastal development zones to lead China from communism to a market economy.
Today, the 147-sq.-km national development zone in Nantong, north of Shanghai, continues to grow as 3,400 foreign firms take advantage of its quick issuance of business licenses and easy access to water from the Yangtze River and Pacific ports.
Walking through the Nantong Hotel, you will hear as many people speaking Japanese as Chinese. About 1,000 Japanese live in Nantong, and their associates, clients and families make regular visits to see them.