Jiangsu province has recently completed the process of getting opinions from the public for the provincial implementation plan of the "Strategic Planning on Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Development" and will carry it out soon.

Li Xueyong, governor of Jiangsu province, said that the Belt and Road Initiative has opened up new opportunities and positioning for the province. Aiming to be an important geo-economic and geo-strategic gateway, an integrated transportation hub, an international trade logistics center, an innovation base for industrial cooperation and a meeting point for cultural exchanges on the Road routes, the province will focus on making breakthroughs in six fields, namely industrial cooperation, infrastructure construction, education, health care, sports and tourism.

The Belt and Road Initiative has connected different countries and different cities along its routes. The Jiangsu plan envisages different cities would cooperate for an integrated implementation of different, yet relevant national strategies within the province. The less-developed coastal regions should be listed as priority areas while implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, it calls for.

The plan further pointed out that port cities in north Jiangsu such as Lianyungang, Yancheng and Nantong should take advantage of their geo-strategic locations and cooperate to develop into a strategic pivot on the Maritime Silk Road.