An enclave for housing talent from Zhoushan opens in Ningbo on April 19. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn] 

An enclave specifically for housing talent from Zhoushan opened in Ningbo on April 19. It is the latest in a series of efforts by the two cities to strengthen ties.

The enclave is located in the Zhejiang Innovation Center in the eastern part of the city.

High-level talent registered in Zhoushan can apply for housing there and be exempt from rent for three years.

Various services, including financing and human resource services, will also be available to the tenants. 

The enclave is meant to boost interconnectivity between the two cities in terms of talent, resources, policies, and services. 

According to an action plan released by the governments of the two cities in August last year, the integrated development of Ningbo and Zhoushsn should see substantial progress by 2025. 

Specific systems and mechanisms for strengthening integrated development will be put in place. They will involve things such as infrastructure, science and innovation, environmental protection, and public services, according to the plan. 

Coordinated efforts will also be made in the construction of a number of major transportation infrastructure projects with the aim of reducing travel time between the two places to just one hour. 

Zhoushan is an island city located 86.1 kilometers from Ningbo. It takes around 90 minutes by car to travel between the two cities. 

The interconnectedness of resources such as water, electricity, oil and gas is also expected to increase by 2025, and the management of the Ningbo-Zhoushan port, the busiest port in China, will be further integrated. 

The port's cargo throughput grew 3.3 percent to 1.12 billion tons in 2019, ranking first in the world for the 11th year in a row.