In the fourth quarter, Baotou is focusing on the construction of major projects and working hard to meet its annual goals. Many major projects are progressing smoothly, boosting the city's overall development.

To date, work on 859 projects has begun or resumed in the city, with an investment of 136.1 billion yuan ($19.31 billion), 96.5 percent of the planned investment for major projects this year.

The projects have contributed to investment growth. From January to September, fixed asset investment in the city increased by 29.2 percent year on year, 23.3 percentage points higher than that of the country as a whole.

He Anlin, the operation director of Baotou CSIQ Solar Energy Technology Co, said that since the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the management committee of Baotou Equipment Park has helped the company coordinate the return of more than 100 employees in low-risk areas, effectively ensuring that work on projects can continue.

He added that the company was very satisfied with the business environment and efficient services in Baotou, which strengthened its confidence in investing in the city.

In addition, Baotou has 528 projects set to be carried out next year, with a total investment of 498.4 billion yuan.

Next year, the city will introduce a large number of high-quality projects related to modern energy, high-end equipment manufacturing, modern services, and agricultural and livestock product processing, focusing on 20 billion-yuan-level industrial clusters in the industrial field and key industries in the service industry.