Known as the''City of Banyan,'' Fuzhou is the provincial capital of Fujian Province and sits opposite Taiwan across the Taiwan Straits. A historical and cultural city with a long history of over 2200 years, Fuzhou has always been an important port of foreign trade in China. When China initiated its reform and opening up drive in the 1980's, Fuzhou became one of the earliest coastal port cities opened to the outside world and is considered to be one of the most competitive manufacturing cities in China.

In 2006, Fuzhou was ranked among the 10 most competitive manufacturing cities in China at the first annual conference of Asian Manufacturing Industry co-sponsored by the China National Industry and Commerce Federation. It ranked second in the Forbes rankings for Chinese cities most suitable for establishing factories or manufacturing centers and was granted the title of ''Silver Medal City'' in the evaluation of investment surroundings sponsored by the World Bank. It is ranked 13th among mainland Chinese cities in terms of being most suitable for developing logistics and ranks 24th among Chinese cities in terms of comprehensive economic strength. So far it has won such titles as ''National Garden City'', ''Outstanding Tourist City in China'' and ''National Model City for Environment Protection''.

The city's GDP in 2006 totaled 165.7 billion RMB, with local fiscal revenues reaching 15.25 billion RMB and investment in fixed assets amounting to 73.23 billion RMB.



Economic Contribution Ratios by Sector
In 2005, the economic contribution ratio of the primary industries including agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and the fisheries represented 11.7% of GDP; the economic contribution ratio of the secondary and value-added industries and construction represented 47.1%; while the economic contribution ratio of the tertiary sector represented 41.2%.
Composition of GDP (%)

Foreign Trade Overview
In 2005, total import and export volume amounted to US$13.69 billion, including US$8.67 billion in exports. Foreign-invested enterprises exported US$6.06 billion worth of products and goods, while domestically invested enterprises exported US$2.62 billion. Total volume of imports and exports in 2006 climbed to US$15.76 billion including US$10.17 billion in exports, resulting in a trade surplus of US$4.58 billion.

Export products mainly include electronics, machinery, footwear, textiles, light industry products, foodstuffs, metals and crafts. Import products mainly include mechanical and electrical equipment, plastics, raw materials, chemical raw materials, base metals and other metal products.

The US, EU and Hong Kong are the largest export markets for Fuzhou's goods, while Taiwan, South Korea and Japan are the biggest import markets. The top 8 import and export nations and regions are indicated in the following table:

Fuzhou's Top 8 Export Markets (2006) Unit: Million USD

Foreign Trade and Cultural Ties
Countries and regions investing in Fuzhou are mainly from East Asia, the EU and North America. In recent years, the investment of Japanese enterprises in Fuzhou has increased rapidly. By the end of 2006, there were over 400 Japanese enterprises in Fuzhou.

Fuzhou has twinned with 9 foreign cities so far and has established the Fuzhou People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in order to enhance understanding and friendship between Fuzhou people and people from other countries, as well as to conduct multi-dimensional and multi-level, non-governmental networking, encouraging international exchanges, cooperation and coordination.

Fuzhou's Sister Cities