Vital Statistics (2006)
GDP: RMB 259 billion
GDP per Capita: RMB29, 890
Economic Growth Rate: 14.8%
Population: 5.03 million (urban) – 3.16 million (rural)
FDI (2006): US$2.0 billion
Annual Average Wage: RMB19, 759
Government Effectiveness Rating: 73rd
2006 Chinese Cities Competitive Rating: 28th 

Economic Overview
Wuhan, a National Historic City, is the capital of Hubei Province, also affectionately dubbed the "city on rivers" and is the largest city in central China. The mighty Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world, intersects its largest branch, the Hanshui River at Wuhan and divides the city into three distinct areas called Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang.

From the late 1990's on, Wuhan has enjoyed double-digit annual economic growth; an incredible record lasting 16 consecutive years, with no sign of abatement. The city was proclaimed to be the "Chinese economic and geographical center" by a panel of national economists because it sits smack-dab in the center of and almost exactly 1000 km distant from each of the four largest cities in the country and consistently ranks among the top cities in China in terms of competitive advantages and quality of life.

In 2006, Wuhan's GDP reached 259 billion RMB, accounting for 35% of the GDP in the Province of Hubei and ranking 16th among all cities nationwide. GDP per capita sits at 29,890 RMB, roughly equal to US$3,790. In 2006, total fixed capital investment reached 132.53 billion RMB, up by 26.1% over the previous year.  



Economic Contribution Ratios by Sector
In 2006, the economic contribution ratio to GDP of the primary industries including agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and the fisheries was 4.5%; the contribution ratio of the secondary industries including manufacturing and the value added sector was 46.1% and that of the tertiary and service industries was 49.4%.

Wuhan's GDP Composition (%)

Sector	1990	1998	2006
Primary	10	7.9	4.5
Secondary	48.6	44.7	46.1
Tertiary	41.4	47.4	49.4

Foreign Trade Overview
Wuhan's total import/export volume was US$8.01 billion in 2006, with total exports up by 48.7% to US$3.78 billion and import volume up by 16.1% to US$4.26 billion. Electromechanical and hi-tech products led the surge in exports, up by 101.9% to US$1.92 billion and 108.5% to US$0.861 billion respectively. Export volume of state-owned enterprises was US$2.03 billion and that of privately run enterprises and enterprises with foreign investment US$1.744 billion. Wuhan's 10 major export markets are the US, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Taiwan, the UK, Italy and Spain.   

Export Volume Comparison Chart 2006
 

City	Export volume (billion USD)	Ranking	increase(%)	Ranking
Shenyang	2.66	12	1.34	12
Dalian	17.26	8	2.54	7
Changchun	1.09	15	-1.41	15
Harbin	1.33	14	0.82	13
Nanjing	17.37	7	2.19	8
Hangzhou	26.23	4	3.24	5
Ningbo	28.77	3	2.94	6
Xiamen	20.51	6	1.88	11
Jinan	2.44	13	3.72	3
Qingdao	23.47	5	2.08	10
Wuhan	3.78	10	4.87	2
Guangzhou	32.38	2	2.14	9
Shenzhen	136.11	1	3.41	4
Chengdu	4.14	9	5.46	1
Xi'an	2.73	11	0.36	14

Foreign Trade and Cultural Ties
The French Consulate General in Wuhan is the only foreign consulate in the city; however, by the end of 2006, Wuhan had built sister-city relationships with 14 cities in 14 countries around the globe. The city also regularly hosts distinguished foreign guests or delegations, foreign journalists and overseas Chinese for discussions, forums and mutual exchanges. For example, in November 2006, the city held the "2006 Wuhan-European SME Fair", which focused on economic cooperation between Wuhan and Europe.
                              
Wuhan's Sister Cities 

Country	City	Date Established
Japan	Oita	1979.09.07.
The United States	Pittsburgh	1982.09.08.
Germany	Duisburg	1982.10.08.
United Kingdom	Manchester	1986.09.16.
Romania	Galati	1987.08.12.
Ukraine	Kiev	1990.10.19.
Sudan	Khartoum	1995.09.27.
Hungary	Gyor	1995.10.19.
France	Bordeaux	1998.06.18.
The Netherlands	Arnhem	1999.06.
R. O. Korea	Cheongju	2000.10.29.
Sterreich	St.Polten	2005.12.20.
New Zealand	Christchurch	2006.04.04
Canada	Markham	2006.09.12

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.