The Fifth Session of the 14th Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress opened on February 3rd. The government work report revealed that the province's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 14.2 trillion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%. Following local legislative sessions where annual economic reports were disclosed, Suzhou reported a GDP of 2.77 trillion yuan, and Nanjing reached 1.94 trillion yuan. Cities like Wuxi, Nantong, and Changzhou have steadily reinforced their status as trillion-yuan economies. Xuzhou, with a GDP of 995.722 billion yuan and a growth rate of 5.8%, is on the verge of crossing the trillion-yuan threshold, while other cities also achieved steady growth. This paints a picture of an economy that combines substantial scale with development quality.

This impressive report card not only highlights the strong resilience and endogenous momentum of Jiangsu's economy but also reflects the development achievements across the province, achieved through tailored strategies and coordinated efforts. It serves as a vivid illustration of high-quality development in Jiangsu in the new era. While GDP remains a core indicator for measuring regional economic development and consistently attracts attention, it is crucial to look beyond the raw numbers to discern the underlying pace of development, quality, and improvements in people's livelihoods.

So, how should this GDP report card for Jiangsu be interpreted? The answer lies within the province's practices of high-quality development.

The steady GDP growth demonstrates the solid confidence behind Jiangsu's "economic strength." The core of this strength lies in the enhancement of quality, efficiency, and the transformation of growth drivers. This confidence stems from Jiangsu's continuous dedication to technological innovation and industrial upgrading. On one hand, technological innovation injects vitality into development. At industry-university-research collaboration meetings, major projects worth over 2.2 billion yuan were signed, translating "wisdom" from laboratories into tangible "fruits" on production lines. From flexible exoskeleton robots that aid precise rehabilitation to intelligent inspection robots that replace humans in high-risk operations, the implementation of these cutting-edge technologies signifies innovation moving from concept to reality. On the other hand, the wave of industrial upgrading is reshaping the economic structure. Traditional manufacturing is being revitalized through "intelligent transformation, digitalization, and networking," with intelligent workshops at Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group and the green transformation of Nanjing Iron and Steel Group serving as vivid examples. Emerging growth drivers are leading the charge, with national-level advanced manufacturing clusters like Suzhou's biomedicine and Wuxi's Internet of Things experiencing robust growth. More critically, forward-looking layouts for "future industries," from the 6G technology pioneered by the Purple Mountain Laboratories to the quantum technology and low-altitude economy being developed across the province, are accumulating decisive energy for Jiangsu to surpass the present.

The people-oriented focus of GDP reflects the foundation of happiness in Jiangsu's "prosperous populace." The key to a prosperous populace lies in sharing the fruits of development; ultimately, GDP growth must translate into improvements in people's lives. Jiangsu has provided an answer through tangible practices. In innovatively established "skills night schools," a cumulative total of 81,200 workers received training, with participation from 48 technical colleges and 221 training institutions, helping people enhance their skills and increase employment income. At 771 urban renewal projects for old residential communities and through the provision of 67,600 units of government-subsidized rental housing, a multi-tiered security system encompassing "a bed, a room, and an apartment" is solidifying the foundation of housing security for countless families. Focusing on "the young and the old," 337 newly renovated community meal assistance sites are serving meals, and 1,260 kindergartens offering affordable childcare have been upgraded, demonstrating care for the most vulnerable groups. Furthermore, at optimized "doorstep" employment service stations, targeted policies and services have helped many individuals facing employment difficulties secure and maintain stable jobs. These visible, tangible changes are turning GDP growth into real, perceptible happiness for the people of Jiangsu.

The green transition within GDP outlines the ecological picture of Jiangsu's "beautiful environment." The core of a beautiful environment lies in the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. Jiangsu has consistently adhered to the principle that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," promoting the synergistic advancement of economic development and ecological protection, making green a distinctive feature of GDP growth. In 2025, Jiangsu achieved significant results in air pollution control. The annual average PM2.5 concentration was 31.3 micrograms per cubic meter, an improvement of 3.1% year-on-year. The proportion of days with good air quality reached 83.8%, improving by 1 percentage point, and the proportion of heavily polluted days dropped to 0.04%, fully meeting national and provincial targets and marking a high-quality conclusion to the 14th Five-Year Plan period for air pollution prevention. Efforts in water environment governance continued, with Taihu Lake's water quality maintaining Class III standards and showing improvements in both total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations. The extensive protection of the Yangtze River was further advanced, leading to continuous improvement in the basin's ecological environment. The province thoroughly implemented the "dual carbon" strategy, promoted the green transformation of traditional industries, and fostered new growth points in green industries like new energy and energy conservation/environmental protection, creating a virtuous cycle between ecological protection and economic development. This ecological report card demonstrates Jiangsu's firm resolve to protect its environment and indicates that green transformation has become a vital force driving high-quality GDP growth.

The cultural enrichment of GDP cultivates the spiritual character of Jiangsu's "high degree of social civility." Jiangsu integrates cultural development into the entire process of economic and social development, allowing the flower of civilization to bloom everywhere. This effort is first reflected in cultural惠民 (benefiting the people) practices that reach hearts and minds. In 2025, over 18,000 "Jasmine Blossoms" cultural express activities reached the grassroots, benefiting more than 33 million people. Secondly, "peaks" have emerged atop the "plateau" of artistic creation: five works, including the Yang opera "Zheng Banqiao," won the 18th Wenhua Award, leading the nation in the number of awards. The film "Nanjing Photo Studio" grossed over 3.017 billion yuan at the box office, setting a new record for films produced in Jiangsu. The vitality of civilization surges even more powerfully through the integration of "poetry and distant lands." The 85 matches of the "Jiangsu Super League" attracted over 2.4 million spectators, igniting a nationwide fitness craze and simultaneously linking a new consumption chain integrating culture, commerce, tourism, and sports. The fact that over 1.2 billion domestic and international tourist visits were made to Jiangsu throughout the year, generating total tourism revenue of 1.48 trillion yuan, is a vivid portrayal of culture empowering Jiangsu's economy. The continuous deepening of civilized city campaigns and the rising level of civility across society are turning cultural soft power into a hard support for Jiangsu's economic development.

With the spring tide surging, a new journey begins; setting sail with vigorous effort, the future awaits. The 2025 report card is not only a summary of the hard work and achievements of the past year but also a foundation of confidence for continuing to write a glorious chapter on the new journey. The government work report has set a target of an average annual GDP growth of around 5% during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, outlining a new blueprint for Jiangsu's high-quality development. Standing at a new historical juncture, Jiangsu will steadfastly adhere to the goal of building a "strong, prosperous, beautiful, and advanced" new Jiangsu. It will look beyond the numbers to assess development, focus on quality for improvement, shoulder major responsibilities courageously, and strive for excellence on the new journey of the 15th Five-Year Plan. With practical action, Jiangsu will write a new chapter in high-quality development and make greater contributions to the nation's overall development landscape.