The Yangtze River Delta, one of China's most vibrant, open and innovative city clusters, is expected to see an increase in the number of cities with a gross domestic product (GDP) exceeding one trillion yuan.

The region is actively pursuing high-quality integrated development as part of a national strategy. Currently, nine cities — including Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou — have already crossed the trillion-yuan threshold.

Several other cities including Wenzhou and Xuzhou are expected to cross the “trillion-yuan club” later this year. Notably, Xuzhou recorded a GDP of 729.81 billion yuan in the first three quarters, up 6% year on year. Retail sales of consumer goods in Xuzhou rose 6.2% to 334.6 billion yuan during the same period.