Jiangsu Basking in the Economic Boom

Jiangsu Basking in the Economic BoomThere is more to Nanjing than the memorial to thevictims of the monstrous Japanese massacre of at least 300，000 people between December 1937 and January 1938.And，theres more to Chinas southeastern Jiangsu Province thanNanjing.So I discovered in the course of a journey extending tofive days from June 13 to 17，which took me in a bullet train（yet to make its debut in India）from Beijing to Nanjing，then Nanjing to Kunshan，and，Kunshan to the water town ofZhouzhuang，before heading back to Beijing again in a bullettrain.The eye-opening journey to Jiangsu was made possiblethanks to Beijing Normal University（BNU）.It has an enviableInternational MBA Program aimed at talent from developingcountries.This oneyear English-medium course attracts notonly conventional students seeking higher professionaleducation but also scholars，officials，diplomats，entrepreneurs and others employed in the private and publicsectors.And，they come from diverse countries in Asia，Africaand South America.I was invited to join BNUs 34 IMBA scholars from 21developing countries on the Jiangsu Field Trip.The objectivewas not only to expose and educate the IMBA candidates onfacets of Chinas economy and economic development，butalso to inspire them with examples and experiences；and，encourage them to recognize their potential for taking the firststep towards setting up in business when they leave the portalsof academia.The fact that five students from as many countries in threecontinents have decided to set up a transnational enterprise isan excellent example of the practical impact of the IMBA course.For them，too，Jiangsu，was a highly instructive journey.Although I have travelled in Chinas high-speed trains inrecent years，I still get excited when I have the chance to travelby these bullet trains.That may well be because there is nobullet train in India，and when in India，on average，I travelabout 5，000 kilometers by train every month.The Japanese areworking on a bullet train between Delhi and Varanasi andAhmedabad and Mumbai，while the Chinese have their eye ona bullet train between Delhi and Chennai.And，it may be quitesome time before these trains are a reality.Even when theybecome a reality，they may remain a dream for millions whomay not be able to cough up the fare for travelling in these.Thus，every time I travel in a Chinese bullet train?C like，for instance，covering nearly 1，200 kilometers in a little overfour hours from Beijing to Nanjing?C I dream of the day when Iwould be able to cover the 2，200 kilometers from Delhi toChennai in eight hours or so，instead of the 30 hours，at least，which it takes me now.The dream ended when I alighted fromthe train in Nanjing，for back in India，this will remain adream，at least for some more years.Nanjing?CBuilding a Better FutureNanjing brings me awake in ways I never expected fromwhat I have read or seen of the place in the media.The bustlingcapital of Jiangsu Province?C with its many glass-and-concreteresidential and commercial high-rises，wide roads，modernmetro，efficient public transport of buses and taxis，heavytraffic，plethora of malls and super-markets，busythoroughfares，and abundant green?C seems no less than ametropolis.Spread over 6，600 square kilometers，it has a permanentpopulation of 8.23 million，and a floating population of 3-4million.A comprehensive hub city，located at the intersectionof the Yangtze River Golden Waterway and Beijing-ShanghaiRailway，its GDP has been steadily rising.In 2015，Jiangsus GDP was US$150 billion and per capita GDP was US$18，000.Nanjing is looking forward to grasping opportunities andexecuting strategies that would propel its development evenfaster and in more and new dimensions and directions.Thesewere spelled out in a presentation made by the NanjingMunicipal Bureau of Commerce at the Nanjing EconomicDevelopment Seminar for the visiting BMU scholars.Among thestrategies driving Nanjings transformation are the Belt andRoad Initiative，Yangtze River Economic Belt，SouthernJiangsu Modernization Construction Zone，Southern JiangsuIndependent Innovation Demonstration Area，and JiangbeiNew Area.In his opening remarks at the seminar，Prof.Biliang Hu，Dean of BNUs Emerging Markets Institute，pointed out thatNanjing was known for infrastructure，innovations，technology and industrial parks.Today，Nanjing is going global in a big way with overseasinvestments，projects and labor service cooperation.It has 837enterprises of 104 countries with a cumulative investment ofUS$7.1 billion，and is a famed tourism destination.In 2015，its gross imports and exports touched US$53 billion，besidesoverseas project contracts of US$3.3 billion.Outwardinvestment was US$2.1 billion and foreign direct investment（FDI）utilized was US$3.3 billion.Manufacturing is a pillarindustry，and in 2015 added industrial value was to the tune ofUS$65.3 billion.In keeping with the global trend，theproportion of service industry to GDP is 57 percent andincreasing.Kunshan?C Gem of a SuccessSmall towns can at be