Rupert Hoogewerf, founder and chief researcher of Hurun Report, hailed the development of Yangzhou city and Jiangsu province during an interview on the sideline of the opening ceremony of an investment promotion event in Yangzhou.

Explaining why he traveled about 10 times over the last few years to Yangzhou, a city of 4.6 million population in East China's Jiangsu province, the 55-year-old British said that "the development here is pretty amazing".

"There are so many pretty cool entrepreneurs," he said. "The ambition that you can feel coming out of this area is (of) so much energy. It's not just the traditional industries. They are all moving to the modern industries as well."

The 2026 Yangzhou "Flowery March" International Economy, Trade and Tourism Festival opened in Yangzhou on April 18. During the opening ceremony, Hurun Report signed an agreement with the city to help regional companies go global.