Located in the heart of northeast China, Changchun, Jilin, is an important centre of heavy industry, notably automotive and locomotive industries. Known to locals as the “City of Automobiles”, Changchun accounted for 9% of China’s auto output in the year 2009; furthermore, the city has plans to strengthen its transportation manufacturing and increase production capacity. The city is also home to food processing, electronics, biotech, medicinal, and energy industries. An enormous beneficiary of China’s rapid rail expansion, the city is also an important transit point and entry point into Western China.
While the city has been unable to attract FDIs to the same degree as its neighbours Shenyang and Dalian and its real estate and retail industries have seen slow growth, Changchun nevertheless boasts strong growth in GDP and major industries. In 2009, Changchun had the third fastest GDP growth.
