The Zhengpugang New District was established by approval of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government on November 12, 2012. Located on the north bank of the Yangtze River in the Ma’anshan section, it connects the Hefei and Nanjing metropolitan areas and is an integral part of the Jiangbei region in the urban agglomeration planning of the Wuhu-Ma’anshan urban cluster. It administers the planned area of the Jiangbei Industrial Concentration Zone and the county’s territory,It administers the entire territories of Laoqiao Town and Baiqiao Town, with a total area of 242 square kilometers, a registered population of 118,000, an urban development boundary area of 20.66 square kilometers, and an initial development zone area of 17.29 square kilometers.

In recent years, Zhengpugang New District has adhered to the development strategy of “integrated port and city, integrated industry and city, and integrated urban and rural areas,” focusing on “major ports, major logistics, and major foreign trade” as its primary objectives, and has made every effort to build itself into Anhui’s river-sea intermodal transportation hub and a modern new urban district.By the end of 2024, the zone’s total revenue had surpassed the 50-billion mark, with fixed-asset investment growing by 13.7%, manufacturing investment increasing by 20.4%, and industrial value-added from enterprises above designated size rising by 10.3%. General public budget revenue reached 1.55 billion yuan, marking a 6.9% increase.

First, through the synergy of multiple advantages, the park has emerged as a new hub for opening up to the outside world. By leveraging the combined strengths of multiple platforms—including the Comprehensive Bonded Zone, the Free Trade Zone Linkage and Innovation Zone, and the Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone—the park has attracted 5 bonded processing enterprises, 11 foreign trade logistics enterprises, and 21 cross-border e-commerce enterprises.In 2024, the Comprehensive Bonded Zone ranked among the top 100 nationwide in performance evaluations, climbing 23 places in the rankings. Foreign trade imports and exports totaled $1.424 billion, up 6.6%, while cross-border e-commerce trade volume reached 530 million yuan, up 20%.

Second, its unique location has established it as a new base for coordinated development.It is home to the province’s first Class I national water transport port with “one river, two banks” simultaneously open to the outside world. Its freight rail network connects to the “Belt and Road” initiative and links to the “China-Europe Railway Express.” Through joint efforts with Hefei City and the Provincial Port and Shipping Group, the zone has established an “enclave” port, achieving new breakthroughs in “zone-port coordination” and “rail-water intermodal transport.”In 2024, cargo throughput at the Zhengpugang Port Area exceeded 23 million metric tons, while container throughput at the Zhengpugang Terminal surpassed 70,000 TEUs and rail freight volume reached 760,000 metric tons—all achieving double-digit growth.

Third, industrial clustering has made this a prime destination for investment and business development. Focusing on the “1+1+N” industrial layout, sectors such as energy electronics, equipment manufacturing, green food, and construction machinery have clustered and developed. Leading enterprises including Zoomlion, Zijian Group,AAC Technologies, Yili Beihaiyang, and Central Rosen Kitchen have all established operations here. The area is home to more than 9,000 market entities and 67 industrial enterprises above designated size, making it the province’s largest production base for basic construction equipment.

Fourth, it is a hub for attracting talent and expertise, serving as a new hub for scientific and technological innovation.A number of research institutes and universities, including the Nanjing University Research Institute, Wanjiang Institute of Technology, and Huaihang Technical School, have gathered here. The area has established a “remote research base” in collaboration with the Zhangjiang Research Institute, and the “Overseas Chinese Scholars Association HaiChuang Base” has been inaugurated and is now operational. It boasts 12 science and technology platforms at the municipal level or above and 4 mass entrepreneurship and innovation platforms,two postdoctoral workstations, 50 national-level high-tech enterprises, 72 technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises, and 19 provincial-level “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” enterprises. It has been recognized as the province’s leading development zone in terms of output per mu.

Fifth, through urban-rural integration, it has become a new haven for both living and working. Adhering to holistic planning and green development, the area has extended urban infrastructure, social security, and public services to rural areas; constructed nearly 100 kilometers of “Four-Good Rural Roads”; delivered 12,000 units of affordable housing; and established two provincial-level model towns for rural governance and two model villages for democracy and the rule of law.The average PM2.5 concentration and the rate of water quality meeting excellent standards have ranked among the top in the city for three consecutive years. One individual was recognized as an “Outstanding Individual in the National Poverty Alleviation Campaign,” and two grassroots Party organizations were designated as provincial “Five Goods” model organizations.