加快沿江开发是江苏实现“两个率先”的重大战略举措。江苏沿江开发区域包括南京、镇江、常州、扬州、泰州、南通6个直辖市区和拥有长江岸线的15个县(市),拥有人口2409万,占全省的32.7%;面积2.46万平方公里,占全省的24.0%;2002年GDP4548亿元,占全省的47.8%。随着经济全球化和长 Accelerating the development along the Yangtze River is a major strategic move for Jiangsu to achieve “two firsts”. The development zones along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province include six municipalities directly under the Central Government in Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Yangzhou, Taizhou and Nantong, as well as 15 counties (cities) with the Yangtze River shoreline and a population of 24.09 million, accounting for 32.7% of the province’s total. The area is 24,600 km2 , Accounting for 24.0% of the province; in 2002, the GDP was 454.8 billion yuan, accounting for 47.8% of the province. With the economic globalization and long