Employees work on an electronics production line of Siemens in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Hua Xuegen/For China Daily]
Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu generated 2.27 trillion yuan ($357.15 billion) in GDP in 2021, up 8.7 percent from 2020, according to a statement released by the local statistical bureau on Jan 28.
The city's industrial production continued to develop steadily in 2021. The total output value of industrial enterprises above designated size exceeded 4 trillion yuan for the first time to reach 4.13 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.2 percent and an average growth of 10.4 percent in two years.
The equipment manufacturing industry and the electronic information industry achieved output values of 1.27 trillion yuan and 1.16 trillion yuan respectively, up 20.3 percent and 10.8 percent year-on-year. The output value of manufacturing emerging industries and high-tech industries accounted for 54 percent and 52.5 percent of the total industrial output value above designated size respectively.
In 2021, Suzhou promoted the development of the digital economy and its integration with the real economy. Statistics show that the investment in the digital industry in 2021 increased by 8 percent year-on-year to reach 49.1 billion yuan, accounting for 30.6 percent of the total industrial investment. A total of 10,600 projects in Suzhou promoted digital intelligence. Three smart manufacturing demonstration factories, two provincial smart factories, and 73 demonstration smart workshops were named as national-level entities in Suzhou in 2021.
The city's foreign trade in 2021 totaled $392.11 billion, a year-on-year increase of 21.7 percent. The total value of imports and exports reached $230.27 billion and $161.85 billion respectively, year-on-year increases of 23.3 percent and 19.4 percent. The city's trade with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative increased by 28.5 percent year-on-year.