The direct settlement for trans-city medical expenses is enabled in 117 designated medical institutions in Ningbo and 27 in Zhoushan by the end of June. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn] 

Ningbo has forged increasingly closer ties with Zhoushan in recent years. 

Zhoushan is an island city located 86.1 kilometers from Ningbo. It now takes around 90 minutes by car to travel between the two cities. According to an action plan released in August last year, the integrated development of the two cities should see substantial progress by 2025. 

As of June this year, the two cities have seen notable improvements in the interconnectivity of infrastructure, resources, and public services.

Earlier this month, the Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway took a further step towards construction, as the core technical proposal for the project's 16.2-kilometer-long undersea tunnel, the longest in the country, passed the assessment by a panel of experts headed by Qian Qihu, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Stretching 77 kilometers, the Ningbo-Zhoushan railway line connects the Zhoushan islands with the mainland in Zhejiang. 

Ningbo has also been an important source of water for Zhoushan. 

At the end of March, an undersea water pipeline connecting Ningbo with Zhoushan's Daishan Island officially went into operation, alleviating the water shortage that Daishan had long faced.

In addition to Daishan, water will be delivered to the islands of Qushan and Xiushan in Zhoushan as well. With a combined investment of 460 million yuan ($66.67 million), the project will be able to deliver a total of 28.38 million metric tons of water to the aforementioned three islands annually after completion. 

Moreover, the two cities have seen integrated development in public services, talents, and scientific innovation.

In June, Ningbo and Zhoushan announced that they plan to make joint efforts to cultivate over 1,000 high skilled professionals, such as teachers and doctors, while job qualification certificates obtained in either city will be mutually recognized by 2025.

Bilateral cooperation in key industries like new materials and high-end equipment manufacturing has progressed. In the first half of this year, the technology transactions between the two cities had surpassed 45 million yuan.

In addition, residents from the two cities are entitled to some integrated public services including education, healthcare, and government services.

By the end of June, the direct settlement for trans-city medical expenses has been enabled in 117 designated medical institutions in Ningbo and 27 in Zhoushan.