The starting point of the southern Silk Road

Chengdu is located in a basin in inland China and surrounded by mountains in all directions. Since the ancient times, it has tried to beat its geographical isolation and enhance its contact with the outside world.

As early as in the third century, Chengdu already opened a route, which started in the city and connected the city with the ocean. That was the famous Southern Silk Road in China.

Good relations with foreign countries

Today's Chengdu people have inherited their ancestor's tradition of opening to the outside world. Since 1981, Chengdu has established friendly city relations with seven cities in France, Slovenia, Austria, Japan, the United State, Canada and Belgium.

Foreign economy and trade

The Chengdu Municipal Government has formulated the Regulations Encouraging Foreign Investment in Chengdu through its local legislation, setting up the Service Center For Administration of Foreign Investment in Chengdu, which handles foreign investment in the city.

By the end of 1997, Chengdu had had 2,190 Sino-foreign-funded, Sino-foreign-co-operative and solely foreign funded enterprises. Lot of big-name companies, such as the AT&T, Coca Cola, and Motorola of the United States, Siemens and Alcatel of Germany, National and Toyota of Japan and President of Taiwan, has come to Chengdu, seeking business opportunities.

In 1997, Chengdu's imports and exports totaled US$490 million. Its exports amounted to US$350 million.

Major investment and development zones
A) The Chengdu High and New Technology Industrial Development Zone
B) The Chengdu Economic and Trade Development Zone
C) The Chengdu Taiwan Businessmen Investment Zone
D) The Southwest Airport Economic Development Zone
E) The Xindu Satellite City Industrial Zone

The goal for the year 2000 and development strategy for the next 15 years
A) The goal
By the year 2000, Chengdu's gross domestic product (GDP) will be quadrupled compared with that of 1980.
By the year 2010, the city's per capital GDP should double that of the year 2000.
B) The principles
Building Chengdu into a powerful city through reform and opening to the outside world, the popularization of science and education and the rule of law.
C) The strategies
To realize the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) and the Long-term Development Strategy for the Year 2010, the Chengdu Municipal Government has formulated eight strategies:
The strategy of relying on science and technology to invigorate the city.
The strategy for urban development
The development of agriculture in its suburbs
The development strategy for the development of industrial products
The development strategy for commerce, trade, the market and circulation
The strategy for sustained development
The strategy for improving people's moral standards