On November 21, the 2024 Cross-Strait Machinery Industry Exchange Conference was held in Hai Men, themed "Empowering New Productive Forces with Intelligent Machinery." This is the first grand event held at the county (city, district) level, with nearly 200 representatives from the machinery industry across the strait attending to engage in discussions and deepen cooperative win-win relationships. Su Bo, convener of the Mainland side of the Cross-Strait Entrepreneurs Summit's Intelligent Manufacturing and Equipment Industry Cooperation Promotion Group; Xu Niansha, President of China Machinery Industry Federation; Zhuang Dali, Chairman of Taiwan Machinery Industry Association; Song Xiaogang, Secretary-General of China Machinery Industry Federation; Xu Wentong, Secretary-General of Taiwan Machinery Industry Association; Guo Yuzhen, Deputy Director of Jiangsu Provincial Taiwan Affairs Office; Li Ling, Vice Mayor of Nantong City; and Shen Xudong, Secretary of Hai Men District Committee and District Mayor attended the meeting.

Su Bo, Xu Niansha, Zhuang Dali, Li Ling, and Shen Xudong each delivered speeches.

In his speech, Su Bo stated that Hai Men, known as a gateway to rivers and seas, has seen its intelligent equipment industry develop to a certain scale. In particular, the industrial chains for industrial robots and new energy equipment are continuously growing. In July this year, the 2024 Cross-Strait Young Entrepreneurs Elite Summit was held in Nantong where it was designated as the "Cross-Strait (Hai Men) Intelligent Equipment Industry Cooperation Park." He hopes Nantong can leverage its existing industrial foundation advantages and serve as a demonstration platform for cross-strait cooperation to attract more high-quality intelligent manufacturing enterprises from both sides to invest in Hai Men and promote vigorous development in cross-strait intelligent equipment industries. Su Bo expressed that the 2024 Cross-Strait Machinery Industry Exchange Conference provides an excellent platform for practical cooperation between enterprises on both sides and wishes for continuous new achievements through sincere cooperation among colleagues in the machinery industry across the strait.

Xu Niansha and Zhuang Dali introduced the development status of cross-strait machinery industries during their speeches. They expressed their commitment to continue promoting economic exchanges and cooperation across the strait while deepening integrated development across various fields to foster healthy and sustainable growth in cross-strait machinery industry supply chains.

Li Ling briefly introduced Nantong's economic and social development during her speech. She mentioned that in recent years Nantong has steadfastly pursued a path driven by innovation and cluster development as a strong manufacturing city. The cluster effect of its intelligent equipment industry is becoming prominent with active innovation elements and widespread application scenarios. An open-integrated industrial ecosystem is rapidly taking shape. Nantong shares close ties with Taiwan through familial connections, cultural heritage, and business relations. It has always been one of the regions with the highest concentration of Taiwanese investment in the Yangtze River Delta area as well as vibrant exchanges across both sides. Nantong will take this conference as an opportunity to carefully build a platform for integrated development between cross-strait intelligent equipment industries while accelerating cultivation of a cooperative alliance for these industries across both sides. It will fully support Taiwanese businesses' participation in developing Nantong's intelligent equipment industry. She hopes friends from all sectors will pay more attention to Nantong—investing in it—and work together with it towards creating a better intelligent era.

Shen Xudong stated that Hai Men is located by riverside near Shanghai—it is known as 'the gateway to oceans'—and also serves as Shanghai's northern gate having gone through three stages: 'county', 'city', 'district'. Since being restructured into a district from a city, Hai Men has consistently climbed up rankings among 'Top 100 Comprehensive Strength Districts' nationwide while its total economic volume continues to grow alongside expanding industrial capacity. With deep-water riverbanks alongside deep-water coastlines established under an integrated transport system combining road-rail-waterway logistics—logistics transportation is efficient and convenient—clean energy resources are abundant providing ample space for industries along with comprehensive guarantees for various factors needed for growth. Currently—with deeper implementation of Yangtze River Delta integration strategy—Hai Men is encountering unprecedented developmental opportunities fully integrating into Shanghai’s half-hour economic circle or commuting zone. Investing in Hai Men means investing in Shanghai itself; he eagerly anticipates entrepreneurs coming to Hai Men—to remember it—and experience its vibrant growth potential along with immense developmental prospects firsthand. Hai Men will do its utmost to welcome all entrepreneurs investing here with maximum sincerity—the best resources—and optimal services while working together towards creating an infinitely bright future.

The Cross-Strait Machinery Industry Exchange Conference has been held continuously for 20 sessions now becoming an important platform where experts scholars from both sides along with representatives from industries or enterprises engage in technical exchanges experience sharing enterprise matchmaking which plays an active role promoting practical cooperation between enterprises on both sides facilitating transformation upgrades integration developments within respective industries.

At this conference reports on machinery industry developments were released by both sides respectively while relevant entrepreneurs delivered keynote speeches on topics such as AI applications within mechanical intelligence green skill production equipment smart machine tools enterprise lean management etc. Participants also visited sites including Haidao Yangtze Tunnel Smart Center Jinyi Cheng (Nantong) Precision Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Electric Group Hengxi Photovoltaic Technology (Nantong) Company Jianghai Museum among others.