Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, is the cultural, industrial and transport hub at the heart of a massive, fertile, agricultural plain in southwestern China. The city has a history that spans back more than 3,000 years. The 4th largest city in China, behind only Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing in terms of population, the city is fast becoming known the world over for its booming IT sector and highly-skilled workforce, which has lured giants like Intel, Motorola, Nokia, Siemens, Alcatel and Ericsson to name a few.

Chengdu's consumerism knows no bounds and the city continually leads its mainland counterparts in terms of per capita consumer spending, private vehicle ownership and leisure time pursuits. With a diverse industrial economy enhanced by the country's "Go West" policy, combined with its status as the number one tourist destination in the country, Chengdu enjoys a modernized infrastructure while maintaining the city's cultural feel.

An economic beacon for western China, the city has experienced a sustained 14-year period of double-digit economic development with GDP reaching 275 billion RMB in 2006, an increase of over 10% over the previous year. GDP per capita reached 25, 167 RMB in the year 2006, an increase of 11.7% and the total investment in fixed assets over the past 3 years reached 527.87 billion RMB.

Chengdu GDP/GDP Per Capita (2000-2006)


Economic Contribution Ratios by Sector
The economic contribution ratio of Chengdu's primary industries, including agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and the fisheries was 2.6% of GDP in 2006; while the economic contribution ratio of the secondary and value-added industries contributed 57.2% towards GDP; and the economic contribution ratio of the tertiary sector was 40.2%.

Foreign Trade Overview
The city's foreign trade volume rose 53.3% to over US$6.95 billion. More particularly, exports rose to US$4.14 billion, up 54.6% and imports were up 51.4%, for a total of US$2.81 billion. Leading the way for huge increases was the export of mechanical and electronic products amounting to trade volume of US$1.56 billion, up 66.1% over the year 2005. Chengdu's major export trade markets were the US, Japan and Hong Kong.

Foreign Trade and Cultural Ties
Chengdu has established sister-city relationships with 11 cities around the globe including cities in the USA, Japan, Canada, Belgium, Australia, France, South Korea, Italy, Slovenia, Indonesia, and Kenya and has established numerous academic exchanges with more than 150 countries and regions in the world. Several foreign Consulates have been opened in the city including the American Consulate, French Consulate, German Consulate, South Korean Consulate, Singapore Consulate, Pakistan Consulate, as well as the Royal Thai Consulate.

Top 5 Sources of Foreign Investment (2005)