following five advantages: Location
Chongqing is located at the core of the economic belt of the upper Yangtze, connecting China's vast west and eastern coast. It is the key region for implementing China's Go West Policy. Infrastructure
Chongqing is the only transportation hub in West China that integrates water, land, and air transportation. Several trunk railways and artery expressways meet in Chongqing. Fleets of three thousand-ton ships can reach Chongqing port along the Yangtze. Chongqing Jiangbei Airport is one of China's major airports. Chongqing is one of the load centers of the State Grid in West China. Chongqing has a highly reliable energy supply thanks to the abundant local output of coal and natural gas. Industrial sectors
Chongqing has diverse and competitive industrial sectors as well as a good supplier network. Chongqing was one of China's industrial bases and now is strengthening its five backbone industries: automobile & motorcycle, chemical & pharmaceutical, construction & building material, food, and tourism. Chongqing is also expediting the development of the high-tech industries: IT, bioengineering and environmental protection.
R&D and Education
Chongqing has a large pool of R&D talents in 1,000 more institutions and 34 universities and colleges. Over 600,000 people are engaged in R&D or technical work.
Market potential
Chongqing has enormous demands for consumption and investment. This attributes to its large population, the improvement of people's living standards (from just having adequate food and clothing to the well-being), the emigration of residents and relocation of factories and towns from the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, large-scale infrastructure projects, protection of ecological environment and the treatment of pollution, and the upgrading of the old industrial bases.
At the new momentum of implementing the Go West strategy, Chongqing has its ambition. It plans to accelerate economic and social development, become the window of China to the world, exert its influence to surrounding areas, and back the development of the Southwest China and the upper Yangtze, based on the CENHUB strategic framework (to make Chongqing the centers of business and trade, finance and science, education, information and culture, the hubs of transportation and telecommunication, and a high-tech based modern industrial base).
In 1983, Chongqing became China's first pilot city in comprehensive reform of China's economic system and became the first city listed in the State budget with the authority in the management of economic affairs of the provincial level. In 1992, Chongqing became a riparian open city.
In September 1996, Chongqing was given the authority to administer the cities of Wanxian and Fuling, and Qianjiang Prefecture.
On March 14, 1997, Chongqing became China's fourth municipality directly under
the central government, the only one in west China, when a bill was approved at the Fifth Session of the Eighth National People's Congress, opening a new chapter in the history of Chongqing.
Chongqing, as an investment destination of highest potential in West China, has the following five advantages: Location
Chongqing is located at the core of the economic belt of the upper Yangtze, connecting China's vast west and eastern coast. It is the key region for implementing China's Go West Policy. Infrastructure
Chongqing is the only transportation hub in West China that integrates water, land, and air transportation. Several trunk railways and artery expressways meet in Chongqing. Fleets of three thousand-ton ships can reach Chongqing port along the Yangtze. Chongqing Jiangbei Airport is one of China's major airports. Chongqing is one of the load centers of the State Grid in West China. Chongqing has a highly reliable energy supply thanks to the abundant local output of coal and natural gas. Industrial sectors
Chongqing has diverse and competitive industrial sectors as well as a good supplier network. Chongqing was one of China's industrial bases and now is strengthening its five backbone industries: automobile & motorcycle, chemical & pharmaceutical, construction & building material, food, and tourism. Chongqing is also expediting the development of the high-tech industries: IT, bioengineering and environmental protection.
R&D and Education
Chongqing has a large pool of R&D talents in 1,000 more institutions and 34 universities and colleges. Over 600,000 people are engaged in R&D or technical work.
Market potential
Chongqing has enormous demands for consumption and investment. This attributes to its large population, the improvement of people's living standards (from just having adequate food and clothing to the well-being), the emigration of residents and relocation of factories and towns from the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, large-scale infrastructure projects, protection of ecological environment and the treatment of pollution, and the upgrading of the old industrial bases.
At the new momentum of implementing the Go West strategy, Chongqing has its ambition. It plans to accelerate economic and social development, become the window of China to the world, exert its influence to surrounding areas, and back the development of the Southwest China and the upper Yangtze, based on the CENHUB strategic framework (to make Chongqing the centers of business and trade, finance and science, education, information and culture, the hubs of transportation and telecommunication, and a high-tech based modern industrial base). Strengths
Chongqing should be built into the important growth pole in West China, the economic center at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the municipality
directly under the Central Government for harmonized development of rural and urban areas, to be the first in West China to realize the target of building a well-off society in an all-round way.
His Excellency President Hu Jintao
The strengths of Chongqing are enhanced thanks to Chongqing's becoming a municipality directly under the Central Government, the construction of the Three Gorges Dam Project and the implementation of the Go West Policy. Chongqing ranked top 5 out of China's 12 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the west after macro adjustment, opening to the rest of the world and intensive infrastructure construction. In 2006, the total local GDP reached RMB 348.620 billion, 12.2% higher over 2005; and the total local GDP per capita (permanent population) reached RMB 12,437, up 11.9% over the previous year. The local revenue reached RMB 52.946 billion, up 30.5% over 2005. Of the revenue, general revenue was RMB 31.772 billion, up 23.7% over the previous year, which was 60.0% of the total financial revenue. The real estate investment in the municipality
reached RMB 245.184 billion, up 24.9%. The investment in construction and reconstruction was RMB 182.221 billion, 26.1% higher than the previous year. 1. Industrial sectors
The profitability of the industrial sectors keeps improving. Chongqing, as an old but comprehensive industrial city, has over 15,000 industrial enterprises.
(1) In 2004, the industrial sectors achieved the best performance ever in history: the total profit made by the industrial enterprises of particular scale was as high as RMB 11.338 billion, up 37.8%. The comprehensive earnings indicator in industrial sectors was 141%, up 16% over the previous year.
(2) In 2005, the industrial sectors saw added value of RMB 102.335 billion, up 14.0% over the previous year, of which all state-owned industrial enterprises and the non-state-owned industrial enterprises with revenue from main businesses of RMB 5 million or above (industrial enterprises of particular scale) saw added value of RMB 71.636 billion, up 17.1%. The percentage of products sold reached 98.8%, up 0.6% over the previous year.
(3) In 2006, all industrial sectors saw added value of RMB 123.412 billion, up 18.0% over the previous year. The industrial enterprises of particular scale saw added value of RMB 84.538 billion, up 20.6%. The comprehensive index of the benefits of the industrial enterprises of particular scale achieved the best performance since the municipality of the city, 153.3%, up 15.8%. The total tax reached RMB 31.666 billion, up 24.3% over the previous year; the profit reached as high as RMB 15.471 billion, up 35.3%; the ratio of total assets to industrial output value was 10.4%, up 0.5%. And the overall labor productivity reached RMB 87,470 per capita annually, up 24.8%.
Chongqing is advantageous in heavy and light industries, especially manufacturing, which makes Chongqing one of China's major production bases of motorcycles, automotives, instruments and meters, refined chemicals, large transformers, and traditional Chinese medicine. Chongqing has become the important production base and one of the ten major bases for export of mechanical and electrical products. The municipality boasts the largest aluminum processing works, and 382 large car and
motorcycle makers. Its output of motorcycles makes up one third of the total national output, and its export of motorcycles more than half of the national figure. 2. Agriculture
Chongqing has vast areas with large rural population and abundant agricultural resources, as the topography is complex and the physiognomy varies. The agricultural resources are of great potential and the municipality is China's prime crop and pork production bases. The arable land available is 2.1 million hectares, and the labor reaches 13.615 million. The rural areas are working hard for well-being life. In 2005, the total output in agriculture, forestry, husbandry and fishing reached RMB 66.219 billion, up 5.2%. Of the output, the crop farming reached 35.830 billion, up 3.9%; and the fish breeding and poultry raising reached RMB 24.949 billion, up 6.9%. In 2006, as the municipality suffered from drought, the total output in agriculture, forestry, husbandry and fishing was RMB 63.724 billion, down 3.2%, of which the crop farming was RMB 34.095 billion, down 5.1%, and the husbandry was RMB 24.031 billion, down 0.4%.
3. Logistics and Retailing
Chongqing enjoys convenient transportation, as the Yangtze River and the Jialing River pass through the city, making it the logistics center in West China and the most active commercial center at the upper reaches of the Yantze River.
The local consumable market is oriented to the whole country, connects cities along the Yangtze, and is very influential in southwest China. The annual retail sales income keeps growing. In 2004, the total retail sales of consumable reached as high as RMB 106.15 billion, up 27.1% over the same period of the previous year. In 2005, the total retail sales of consumable reached RMB 121.576 billion, up 13.8%, with actual growth of 15.3% disregarding the price factors. In 2006, the total retail sales of consumable reached RMB 140.358 billion, up 15.4%, with actual growth of 13.6% disregarding the price factors. 4. Population
By the end of 2006, the permanent population of the municipality reached 28.08 million, jumping 100,000 over the previous year. The population in urban area was 13.1129 million, up 453,400. The rate of urbanization was 46.7%, up 1.5%. The birthrate was 9.9??while the mortality was 6.5??up 0.5??nd 0.1??espectively. The natural growth rate was 3.4??up 0.4??And the gender ratio was 102.2 (suppose female is 100, the ratio of male to female). 5. Living standards (1) Urban area
In 2006, the annual salary of the urban employees was RMB 19,215 per capita, which increased RMB 2,585, up 15.5%. And the average spendable income of urban resident was RMB 11,570, with actual growth of 10.3% disregarding the price factors. The average salary income was RMB 9,266, up 18.1%. The average family operating income per capita was RMB 525, up 6.7%. The average property income per capita was RMB 193, up 2.5%. The average transfer income per capita was RMB 2,564, up
0.6%. The average consumption expenditure per capita was RMB 9,399, up 9.0%. The Engelian coefficient of the family in the urban area was 36.3%. The average housing area per capita of the urban resident was 26 square meters, which increased 1.7 square meters. (2) Rural area
The average net income per capita in the rural area was RMB 2,876, which increased RMB 65 over the previous year, up 2.3%. And the average salary income per capita was RMB 1,310, up 20.3% over the previous year. The average family income per capita was RMB 1,350, down 12.5%. The average transfer income was RMB 187, up 26.1%. The average family expending expenditure per capita was RMB 791, down 5.7%. The average expenditure on consumption for living was RMB 2,205, up 2.9%. And the expenditure on clothing, housing, transportation & communication, household facilities and health-care increase 18.1%, 10.0%, 14.4%, 23.2% and 11.9% respectively. The Engelian coefficient of the family in the rural area was 52.2%. The housing area per capita of the rural resident was 34.3 square meters, which increases 1.4 square meters over the previous year. 6. Social Insurance
By the end of 2006, about 3.1678 million people in Chongqing were covered by the basic pension insurance, up 4.6%; 2.5512 million covered by the basic medical insurance, up 7.3%; and 1.9301 million covered by the unemployment insurance, up 2.6%. About 349,900 were covered by rural social pension insurance. About 812,800 people were covered by the minimum income security for urban resident, which increased by 55,400, up 7.3%. And 42,900 were covered by the minimum income security for rural resident, which increased by 30,000. 7. Postal and telecommunications services
Chongqing is the largest postal and communication hub at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the West China. The municipality acts as the dispatching and commanding center of postal and telecommunication services in Southwest China. The postal and telecommunication services connect 180 countries and cities. Direct delivery of commercial parcel, express mail, courier service, and international mail exchange are also available. Demographic
Majority of the people of the municipality are Han while 49 minority groups are also inhabited here, including the Tujia, Miao, Hui, Man, Yi, Zhuang, Buyi, Mongolians, Tibetans, Bai, Dong, Uygur, Koreans, Hani, Dai, Lisu, Wa, Lahu, Shui, Naxi, Qiang and Yilao.
The population of the minority groups reaches 1.75 million, 5.6% of Chongqing's total (31.4423 million). The population of the Tujia people is the largest, 1.13 million. The Miao ranks second, 520,000, which mainly covers the five autonomies (counties) of Qianjiang Development Zone and Fuling District.
The minority groups have their own traditions. The various traditions and customs of the minority groups have become the important tourist resources in Chongqing. The Tujia people have baishou dance, Tujia people's Spring Festival, the Nuo Opera (a kind of drama featuring masked dancing) and Festival Lantern. The Miao people have