China's top business destinations Part II

With more than 1.3 billion inhabitants living on a territory covering more than 9.6 million square kilometres, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is east Asia’s largest country in terms of size and population. It is the world’s third largest and most populous country. The PRC borders on 14 states: Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and North Korea.

The PRC is mainly administered through provincial governments – with the exception of five autonomous zones, four municipalities (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing) and five special economic zones (Shenzhen, Shantou, Zhuhai, Xiamen, Hainan island), all of which are administered directly by the central government.

Chengdu – Economic centre of western China

Chengdu, situated at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin, is the capital of Sichuan Province. As a booming hub in the economic entity of Sichuan and western China, Chengdu’s industrial base includes light and heavy manufacturing, aluminium smelting, and chemicals.

It is a national cluster for electronics and information technology. Several key national electronics research and development institutes are located in Chengdu. The city’s industrial development zone has attracted a variety of multinationals, including Intel, IBM, NOKIA, Alcatel, Motorola and Microsoft.

Chengdu and the Sichuan region are famous for a spicy cuisine of worldwide esteem. Chengdu outnumbers Shanghai in terms of teahouses and bars – despite the fact that Shanghai has twice as many denizens. The city is moreover known as the home town of China’s most famous
animal, the panda bear.

Dalian – Northern harbour and hub

Located on China’s eastern coast and the southern extremity of the Liaodong peninsula in north east China, Dalian stretches along the Yellow Sea on its east and the Bohai Sea on its west.

Dalian is an important city in the north of China with fine harbours and a well-established
industrial base. By 2007, the total number of foreign-funded enterprises in Dalian amounted to more than 10,000 hailing from over 70 countries. Around 1,900 representative offices and agencies have been set up in Dalian by overseas companies; eight banks have set up operating
branches and six foreign financial institutions have opened offices.

Dalian is the window for north east China and the gateway to Beijing and Tianjin. It serves a vast hinterland with a total population of more than 100 million consisting of three north eastern provinces and Inner Mongolia. 80 percent of the export cargos from north east China are handled through the Dalian port.

Wuhan – Economic hotspot in the heart of China

Located at the crossroads of central China in Hubei Province, Wuhan is a transportation hub for air, railway and ferry traffic. With a history that dates back more than 3,500 years, Wuhan boasts a rich cultural heritage combining historic monuments with breathtaking nature.
The city’s main landmark is the Yellow Crane Tower, featuring an ancient poem by Fan Zhong Yan (Tang Dynasty).

By combining classical industries (for instance, automobile manufacturing)with hi-tech industries at locations like Optics Valley, where fibre-optic, electronics and pharmaceutical companies have set up research, development and production sites, Wuhan is positioning itself as one of Asia’s most progressive business cities.