A total of 145 major project deals with investment of 84.76 billion yuan (about 12.26 billion U.S. dollars) were inked at the first Zhangjiagang Development Summit held on Saturday in Zhangjiagang of east China's Jiangsu Province. Divided into three parts, the summit, attracting hundreds of native Zhangjiagang people and other guests at home and abroad, went through the city's changes, past memories and future development through videos and speeches. As a star city in China, a pioneer of reform and an important part of Suzhou, Zhangjiagang should attach great importance to the epidemic control, economic growth and safe development, said Cao Lubao, secretary of Suzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Han Wei, secretary of Zhangjiagang Municipal Committee of the CPC, addressed the audience that the city could not make such achievements in the past six decades without the support of native Zhangjiagang people, while the city's future development featuring innovation, opening-up and civilization in the next six decades need further support from them. Xue Yongqi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a Zhangjiagang native, pledged to contribute to the development of his hometown based on his own expertise. The summit also saw an award ceremony of honorary titles, a book release and institution inaugurations. After the summit, the 2022 Yangtze River Cultural Festival kicked off on Saturday evening in Zhangjiagang, showcasing folk songs of the Yangtze River culture. Started in 2004, the festival has been held consecutively for 19 years, with an aim to protect, inherit and develop the Yangtze River culture. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/329729.html SOURCE: Xinhua Silk Road Image Attachments Links: Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=428249 Caption: Photo shows the first Zhangjiagang Development Summit held in Zhangjiagang in east China's Jiangsu Province on August 27, 2022. [Photo provided to Xinhua Silk Road]