Hubei Province
Regional Information

Hubei province is located at the central sector of the Yangtze River in Central China. It has an area of 185,900 km2. The province has extensive water resources and has the largest number of lakes of any province in China. The famous 'Three Gorges' project is located in the province. It is also one of the nation’s most important production bases for grain, cotton and oil crops.

The province has significant metallurgical and automobile industry, hydropower, shipbuilding and logistics. It is the leading location in China for R&D of photoelectrons and GPS (Global Positioning Systems). The province had a GDP growth in 2001 of 9%. The main cities in Hubei are Wuhan, Yichang, Xiangfan, Jinzhou and Huangshi. Hubei's economy ranks 10th in the country and its nominal GDP for  2004 was 631.0 billion yuan (78.28 billion USD) and a per capita of 9000 RMB (1087 USD).

Foreign trade
Total imports and exports of the province reached US$3.955 billion in 2002, up 10.5 percent. Exports were US$2.099 billion, down 16.8 percent. Imports totaled US$1.856 billion, up 4.2 percent.

Foreign investment
The volume of foreign capital actually used in Hubei approached US$2.266 billion in 2002, up 12.3 percent over the previous year. Of this total, foreign direct investment exceeded US$1.4 billion, up 15.8 percent.

Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, is the economic centre of Central China. It is divided into three districts (Hankou, Wuchang and Hanyang) and located by the Yangtze River and the Han River. It has a population of approximately 8 million people. In its 10th five-year plan, the city is focusing on industrial development in the photoelectron and information sectors, modern manufacturing, steel products and new materials sector, bioengineering and new medicine sector, logistics and the environmental protection sector.

Wuhan is an important region in Central China because of its geographical location. Foreign investment is encouraged and many sectors will be opened to foreign investors after WTO entry. The Economic Development Zones offer a wide range of preferential policies and offer good logistical facilities.

More information about Hubei and Wuhan can be found on the following web sites:

www.chinapages.com/hubei/wuhan/wuhan.htm
www.ccpit.org/engVersion/indexEn.html
www.china.org.cn
www.chinabidding.com
www.chinagate.com
www.hubei.gov.cn
www.wuhan.gov.cn
www.wuhanevents.com/AboutWuhan/ThingsToEat/05.php