Finding China's new future

Unique way

Though Chengdu's economic success is admirable, its growth model is hardly imitable.

As the capital of Sichuan, the city enjoys several conditions that few other Chinese western cities can claim. Sichuan, if counted independently, is a major economy. It has a land area of 486,000 sq km, the equivalent of Spain, and a population of more than 80 million, the same as Germany.

This vast land has earned its reputation as a self-sustaining economy with a distinctive culture. The abundance of agricultural products available in Chengdu's surrounding areas earned it the name Tianfu Zhiguo, kingdom of paradise.

Many CEOs of large domestic and international corporations set up their regional headquarters in Chengdu because it is a vast, and largely untapped market.

No wonder that 238 out of the 500 largest world companies have offices here. For them, an office here represents the strategic importance they attach to the market.

And in the era of globalization, Chengdu governments have spent large amounts of money to improve transport conditions in an effort to build itself into a national, and international logistics hub. Now Chengdu's airport boasts the fourth-largest handling capacity in China, just behind Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Global shipping giants like United Parcel Service Inc, FedEx Corp and DHL have built regional transfer centers in Chengdu.

And the booming electronic manufacturing industries have provided goods for transport. One out of every two laptop microchips, and two-thirds of the world's iPads are produced in Chengdu.