Jiangsu's Yangtze shore swaps chemical plants for carbon fiber and green parks
退一步，进十年！江苏沿江这样硬核“换芯”
A feature report, part of a 'Yangtze Ten-Year Journey' series, details how Jiangsu province has transformed its industrial riverfront since 2017. It says over 4,800 chemical firms were shut, with a forced exit for plants within one kilometer of the river. The piece presents this as a successful pivot to high-tech manufacturing—citing a carbon fiber cluster in Changzhou and a new car-export hub in Nanjing—while showcasing new waterfront parks and the return of finless porpoises as proof of ecological recovery.
The view from inside
The article frames the entire process through the official slogan '退一步，进十年' (take a step back, advance ten years), treating the forced closure of heavy industry not as a cost but as a strategic catalyst.
Free. The read from inside China is the part we ask you to sign in for.