Guangdong Market Opportunities - Urban Economies with Various Characteristics

Zhaoqing City

Located in the central-west of Guangdong Province, Zhaoqing is a part of the Pearl River Delta. With a total area of 15,000 square kilometers and a population of 3.89 million, Zhaoqing is a gardenlike scenic tourism city, new industrial city, well-known civilized city in China.

1. General Survey of Economic Development

In recent years, Zhaoqing’s export-oriented economy has achieved a rapid, healthy and constant development. In 2003, its total export and import value reached US$1.56 billion with an increase of 16.8% over 2002, of which, the total export value reached US$ 1.1 billion, increased by 21.9%. Its contracted foreign investment in 2003 reached US$ 920 million, up by 185.9%, its actual use of foreign investment reached US$ 628 million with an increase of 25%.

2. Unique Advantages and Development Characteristics

(1) Sound investment environment. It takes only one hour from Zhaoqing to Guangzhou by expressway, 4 hours to Hong Kong by express ship, train or car. Zhaoqing has a developed transportation network spreading in all directions by railway, road and waters. The city also has perfect facilities of posts and telecommunications, electronic information, power and water supply.
(2) Famous cultural city and tourist resort. Zhaoqing is a famous historical and cultural city at national level. There are over 400 cultural relic spots with historic and scientific research value. Being the scenic and historic resort at national level, Zhaoqing is one of the first batch of excellent tourist cities of China, National Garden City, and one of the ten major civilized scenic and tourist demonstration areas. With the best ecological environment in Guangdong Province, and the highest rate of negative ion in air in China, the UNESCO has set up a position-fixed Human and Biosphere Research Station here.
(3) Rapid development in industries. Zhaoqing has basically formed its key industries in the field of electronic information, biological pharmaceutics, food and beverage, machinery and instrument, log processing, porcelain and ceramics, chemic, textile, garments and shoes, general light industrial products, metal products etc. With the rapid development of new high-tech industry and industries of certain scale, Zhaoqing is a national model city of advanced technology.
(4) “Land of Gold”. Zhaoqing is rich in natural resources and abundant commercial opportunities. Called "Land of Gold" in Guangdong, Zhaoqing’s annual output of gold accounts for over 80% of the provincial total. It’s rich in jade, gypsum, porcelain clay, with high quality. Its rosin, cossia bark and bamboo are also well known. Duan ink-stone ranks the first in the "Four Famous Ink-stones" in China.