Zhenjiang, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, boasts the hallmarks of a latter-day Chinese boomtown. The city of 2.6m has six universities, four expressways, and the Yangtze River’s third largest port. It is home to one of the world’s largest paper mills, myriad chemical plants, and has drawn investments from international corporate giants such as Siemens, Total and Mitsubishi Chemical.

Zhenjiang also ranks among China’s wealthier cities. Its per capita gross domestic product, officials say, was $5,000 in 2006, or more than double the $1,970 recorded in China overall.