In addition to the new airport, Nantong is also building a new seaport in tongzhou bay and a river-sea combined transport hub in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. This is not only another important point for Nantong to connect with Shanghai, but also can be combined with Nantong New Airport and high-speed railway along the Yangtze River in the north to form a three-dimensional traffic system in the north wing of the Yangtze River Delta, and the prototype has already begun to appear. Among the surrounding cities, Nantong, Suzhou and Jiaxing are most interested in undertaking technology spillover. In contrast, Nantong, which is separated from Shanghai by a river, has no outstanding advantages.

However, Ceng Gang, director of the Yangtze River Delta Regional Integration Research Center of East China Normal University, believes that this disadvantage can be turned into an advantage, allowing the Shanghai metropolitan area to cross the Yangtze River estuary. Ceng Gang also said that Nantong has airspace resources and great potential for future development.