Zhoushan's gross domestic product rises 10.3 percent year-on-year from January to March, ranking first in Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: china-zjftz]

Yu Donglai, secretary of the CPC Zhoushan Municipal Committee, called for more efforts to develop Zhoushan into an island landscape demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics in the new era. 

Yu made the comments in an article published by Zhejiang Daily on June 1.

To achieve this goal, Yu called for efforts to promote the construction of the Zhejiang FTZ and facilitate the city's integration with the Yangtze River Delta region, especially with cities such as Shanghai and Ningbo. 

He also stressed the importance of reform and building a market-oriented and law-based business climate that meets international standards. 

In addition, Yu urged local authorities to accelerate the development of a marine industrial cluster with unique characteristics, strengthen innovation, and bring in more investment and talent.

He emphasized the significance of environmental conservation amid economic growth as well. Efforts should be made to repair and protect the marine ecosystem and coordinate land-sea and urban-rural development so as to build Zhoushan into a "garden city on the sea", he said. 

He called for efforts to modernize urban governance and improve the lives of local residents. 

Zhoushan saw strong economic growth in the first quarter despite the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the Party chief. 

The city's gross domestic product (GDP) rose 10.3 percent year-on-year from January to March, ranking first in Zhejiang province. Its exports soared 26.8 percent and its industrial output value of enterprises above the designated size increased 77 percent over the same period. Its actual use of foreign investment was 3.1 times higher than the same period in the previous year.