Nanjing - A profile

Nanjing - A profile

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This article provides an overview of Nanjing for those keen on exploring the possibility of living and working there. The information presented is gathered from open sources and is not exhaustive or meant to supplement or substitute legal and professional advice.

Key Facts

  • Province: Jiangsu1
  • Land area: 6,587 sq km2
  • Population (2019): 8.5 million3
  • Mayor: Han Liming4
  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (2019): RMB 1.403 billion
  • GDP Per Capita: RMB 165,6825

Introduction

Nanjing is the capital city of Jiangsu Province in East China. Established more than 2,500 years ago, the city has many historical sights, its memorials, museums and cultural sights.6 It has also been dubbed the “Capital of 10 Ancient Dynasties”, given that it served as the capital city for many Chinese dynasties, and twice as the capital of a united China until the Japanese conquered it in 1937.7

Geography

Nanjing sits on the southern bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It borders the Yangtze River Delta to the east and the hilly areas of South Anhui to the west. It is also adjacent to the water network of Lake Taihu in the south and Jianghuai Plain to the north. Shanghai, China’s largest city, lies about 300 km to the east.8

Nanjing is now a major communications and industrial centre in China.9 It is connected by high-speed rail to other major cities in China, such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningpo, Wuhan, Beijing and Tianjin. It is also the site of the world’s largest inland port.10

Education

The city is the educational centre of southern China.11 Each year, 250,000 students graduate from more than 60 universities in Nanjing.12 Nanjing is also home to one of China’s top five universities, Nanjing University, which was ranked the 144th best university in the world by Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2020.13 Nanjing also has educational amenities for the international business community in the form of K-12 schools.14

Economy and Industry

Nanjing is a key regional business centre with fast-growing domestic and international enterprises. In 2019, its GDP grew by 7.8 percent.15 Nanjing was ranked a joint-first amongst China’s major cities for transportation and urban planning, and fourth in intellectual capital and innovation.”16 Its key industries include electronics, steel manufacturing, petrochemicals, automobile manufacturing, IT, photovoltaic, rail transit, finance and tourism.17

While Nanjing is promoting the transformation of traditional industries, it is also developing seven strategic industries in 14 major fields, particularly those which see an average annual growth of more than 20 percent. These industries include next generation information technology (NGIT), high-end equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, medical devices, new energy automobiles, smart grid, new materials, energy conservation, and environmental protection.18

Foreign Investments

A number of multinational corporations have set up operations in Nanjing. They include CSUN, and NARI Group. Additionally, well-known foreign retail companies, such as Carrefour and Walmart, have set up supermarkets there.19 In 2018, Singapore was the fourth largest foreign investor in Nanjing, with 390 projects in the city worth S$4.02 billion in cumulative actual investments in sectors such as education, real estate and medical services.20

Singapore and Nanjing

Singapore cooperates with Nanjing via the Singapore-Nanjing Special Projects Cooperation Panel (SNCP). The SNCP is a city-level platform under the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council (SJCC) set up to bolster bilateral cooperation in special projects in Nanjing. One example is the agreement for two Singapore logistics companies, Mapletree and SSinolog, to develop logistics parks in the city. In addition, Singapore-based Luye Medical Group Pte Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-Tech Island Development Co Ltd and the Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-Tech Island Administrative Committee to develop a high-end integrated hospital on the Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-Tech Island to provide private healthcare for the island’s residents.21

In 2018, Enterprise Singapore (ESG) brought 54 company representatives to attend the Singapore-Nanjing Special Projects Cooperation Panel (SNCP) meeting in Nanjing. These companies hail from sectors such as logistics, real estate, medical services, technology, financial services and education. Given that Nanjing strives to be an innovation-driven city and the fourth most technologically-ready Chinese city, it is the place for Singapore companies to find opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI). In conjunction with the SNCP meeting, Singapore’s Senior Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Koh Poh Koon also attended the launch of the inaugural Sino-Singapore Artificial Intelligence Forum with Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat on 1 June 2018. As such, Singapore companies could “look forward to forg[ing] partnerships with leading Chinese players and co-create solutions not just for China, but also beyond”. During the meeting, partnerships in sustainable urban solutions were also concluded.22

Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-tech Island

The Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-tech Island (SNEHTI) is a township development jointly developed by Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, CPC Jiangsu Committee and the provincial government of Jiangsu. Among the Singapore companies involved include Sembcorp Development Ltd and Yanlord Land Group Limited. Covering a total of 15.21 sq km, the island is envisioned as a “new model of Sino-Singapore cooperation, and a sample of sustainable cities of innovation, entrepreneurship and city-industry integration” that will be developed into “an incomparable Eco Hi-tech city, Low Carbon Smart Island”.23

Tourism

Nanjing has always been viewed as a city of culture and one of the more pleasant cities to live in. Its attractions include Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum, The Confucius Temple (also known as Fuzi Miao), Ming Emperor Tombs, the Memorial Hall of Victims of Nanjing Massacre, Ming City Walls, Purple Mountain, Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, and the Xuanwu Lake Park.24

References

  1. Nanjing (Jiangsu) city information. (2021, January 28). HKTDC Research. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from http://research.hktdc.com/en/ ↩

  2. China CN: Land area of administrative zone: Jiangsu: Nanjing. (n.d.). CEIC Data. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.ceicdata.com ↩

  3. Nanjing (Jiangsu) city information. (2021, January 28). HKTDC Research. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from http://research.hktdc.com/en/ ↩

  4. Han Liming elected mayor of Nanjing. (2020, December 1). Xinhuanet. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from [http://www.xinhuanet.com ↩

  5. Nanjing (Jiangsu) city information. (2021, January 28). HKTDC Research. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from http://research.hktdc.com/en/ ↩

  6. Traditional Culture. (2024, May 10). Nanjing China. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from: http://english.nanjing.gov.cn ↩

  7. History. (2024, May 10). Nanjing China. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from: http://english.nanjing.gov.cn; Zeng, Z., & Kuo, P-C. (2019). Nanjing. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com ↩

  8. City Overview. (2024, May 10). Nanjing China. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from: http://english.nanjing.gov.cn ↩

  9. Zeng, Z., & Kuo, P-C. (2019). Nanjing. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com ↩

  10. Nanjing office. (2019). Bay Area Council. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.bayareacouncil.org ↩

  11. Nanjing office. (2019). Bay Area Council. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.bayareacouncil.org ↩

  12. Nanjing office. (2019). Bay Area Council. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.bayareacouncil.org ↩

  13. World University Ranking 2020. (2020). Times Higher Education. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.timeshighereducation.com ↩

  14. Nanjing office. (2019). Bay Area Council. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.bayareacouncil.org ↩

  15. Nanjing, city of innovation cum Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-tech Island Investment Seminar. (2019). sgsme.sg. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.sgsme.sg; Nanjing (Jiangsu) city information. (2021, January 28). HKTDC Research. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from http://research.hktdc.com/en/ ↩

  16. Chinese cities of opportunity 2024. (2024). PwC. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.pwccn.com ↩

  17. City profiling study of China: Nanjing City. (2016, November). Euromonitor International, & United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://gain.fas.usda.gov){:target=”_blank”} ↩

  18. Nanjing, city of innovation cum Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-tech Island Investment Seminar. (2019). sgsme.sg. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.sgsme.sg ↩

  19. City profiling study of China: Nanjing City. (2016, November). Euromonitor International, & United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://gain.fas.usda.gov ↩

  20. Lung, N. (2018, June 5). Singapore and Nanjing deepen collaboration on AI and sustainable urban solutions. OpenGov. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.opengovasia.com ↩

  21. Luo, S. (2017, June 30). Singapore and Nanjing ink logistics partnerships. The Business Times. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.businesstimes.com.sg; Lung, N. (2018, June 5). Singapore and Nanjing deepen collaboration on AI and sustainable urban solutions. OpenGov Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.opengovasia.com ↩

  22. Lung, N. (2018, June 5). Singapore and Nanjing deepen collaboration on AI and sustainable urban solutions. OpenGov. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.opengovasia.com ↩

  23. Project overview: Heightened attention from top leaders. (n.d.). Sino-Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-tech Island Development Co. Ltd. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from http://www.sneco.com ↩

  24. Nanjing attractions. (n.d.). Nanjing Municipal Tourism Commission. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://gotonanjing.com; Nanjing City. (2017). Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Retrieved April 2, 2019, from http://ciee.nuaa.edu.cn ↩

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