Jinshan government is making a concerted effort to create a professional investment environment. The move is part of the district's goal to double its 2002 gross domestic product within three years.

By 2005, the district's GDP is expected to reach 18.5 billion yuan (US$2.23 billion).

"It isn't an easy task for us. It needs all levels of the government departments to work hard," said district governor Li Yuyi.

He added Jinshan township's governments have made great efforts to solve problems since last year.

A main concern was the slow progress of infrastructure construction at the township-owned industrial zones. This had been a negative factor in attracting business.

Langxia town, for example, spent 15 million yuan building the second phase of its industrial zone. It will soon start construction of a 5-square-kilometer environmentally-friendly industrial zone.

Xingta town collected 170 million yuan to speed up relocation of residents and infrastructure construction of the first 6.16-square-kilometer area of the Shanghai Textile Industrial Zone, the largest of its kind in the city.

The zone, co-developed by the China Textile Enterprise Management Society, Shanghai Textile (Group) Corp and the Jinshan District government, will cover an area of 13.6 square kilometers. It is aimed to attract foreign and domestic textile giants to help boost the industry in the Yangtze Delta area.

In addition, Zhujing Town secured a bank loan of 178 million yuan to address its capital shortage.

With the construction budget guaranteed, adopting effective ways to communicate with enterprises has become another key concern of government officials.

The jinshan Information Office revamped its Website at the end of last year. It now features information ranging from the government's latest work to all the services available to companies.

The district is also encouraging employees from different towns, whose work involves attracting enterprises, to communicate. If a project is not suitable to one area, they can recommend the enterprise to a more suitable township.

In the past, staffers of the different towns competed for projects and in many cases, none of them secured the project.

Meanwhile, Jinshan has determined its three major development areas for the next few years. They are the Jinshan Industrial Zone, Jinshan Agricultural Modern Park and the area along the coastline.

Backed by state oil giant Shanghai Petrochemical Co Ltd, one of Sinopec's subsidiaries, enterprises related to the chemical industry are the target tenants of the industrial zone.

The jinshan Agricultural Modern Park, one of the 12 city-level agricultural parks, was expanded from its original 21 square kilometers to 48 square kilometers.

The park is divided into three areas based on their function in agricultural food processing, farming and forest planting.

The agriculture park in Langxia Town has grown 1,000 hectares of aspen trees to date.

The 23.3-kilometer coastline is another treasure of the district.

With the World Women's Beach Volleyball Championship to be held in Jinshan in May, the district plans to spend more than 40 million yuan rebuilding the area along the coastline.

"We are still discussing the detailed plans. People will be able to linger on a 'golden seashore' by that time," Li promised.

Generally, the area along the coastline will be illuminated at night. The coastal swimming spot, one of the few outdoor bathing places in the city, will undergo renovation.

In addition, there will be two seaside parks, a kite-flying playground, an observation tower to overlook the sea and a platform extending into the water.