Ding Dawei, secretary of the Nantong municipal party committee, and Zhang Guohua, mayor of the city, met with a delegation from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co (ZPMC), led by its president, Song Hailiang, on March 26.

ZPMC has established the Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co Nantong branch and the Nantong Heavy Gear Reducer branch since settling in the city's economic and technological development zone in 2006. Its Nantong branches generated operating revenue of 2.48 billion yuan ($400 million) in 2012.

Song thanked the Nantong government for its support and said the company will do better in its traditional container crane business. It will also expand into other businesses, including oceanographic engineering, large steel structures, infrastructure and funding.

Ding expressed his thanks to the company for its contribution to the city's economic development. He said the rapid economic development of Nantong in recent years has benefited from the support of pillar industries, including the heavy equipment industries. ZPMC’s Nantong branch has many opportunities in the future. He hoped the company will make more efforts in oceanographic engineering and developing the branch.

Edited by Zhao Qian and Michael Thai