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Chongqing, A Profile

Located in Southwestern inland China and on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing has jurisdiction over 38 districts and counties (26 districts, 8 counties, 4 autonomous counties), covering an area of 82,400 km2 with 32.054 million permanent residents and an urbanization rate of 69.46%. Chongqing’s population is comprised of Han Chinese mainly and other ethnic groups with Tujia and Miao people in majority. Known as a unique “mountain and river city”, Chongqing is famous for its hills and mountains that cover 76% of its land. The Yangtze River runs through Chongqing, extending 691km, and is joined by rivers like Jialing River and Wujiang River. Chongqing boasts rich tourism resources such as the Three Gorges, Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage as well as Wulong Karst Landscape and Nanchuan Jinfo Mountain, two UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites.

As a famous historic and cultural city of China, Chongqing is the birthplace of Ba-Yu Culture (an ancient culture bred in Sichuan and Chongqing) with a recorded history of over 3,000 years. The official abbreviation of Chongqing, “Yu”, was derived from “Yushui (Yu River)”, the old name of Jialing River. In the 1st year of Chongning of Northern Song Dynasty (1102 A.D.), the Yu Prefecture was renamed Gong Prefecture. In the 16th year of Chunxi of Southern Song Dynasty (1189 A.D.), Chongqing received its current name after Prince Zhao Dun was crowned as King and then Emperor Guangzong successively; thus, the original meaning of “Chongqing” indicates “double celebration”. In his honor, Gong Prefecture was therefore renamed Chongqing Fu (province), marking the occasion of his enthronement. In 1891, Chongqing became the first inland commerce port open to foreign trade. In 1929, the City of Chongqing was founded. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Chongqing served as the wartime capital of the Republic of China and the Far East Command Center of the World Anti-Fascist War. During the War against Japanese Aggression and the early days of the Liberation War, the Southern Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in Chongqing, represented by Comrade Zhou Enlai, was responsible for leading the party organizations and the united front work in the Kuomintang regions, Hong Kong, Macao and overseas regions. The Hongyan Revolutionary Spirit formed during the process is a precious wealth of our country and people. China Democratic League, China National Democratic Construction Association, Jiu San Society, and Comrades Federation of Three Principles of the People, one of the predecessors of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, were all founded in Chongqing.

Chongqing is the only centrally-administered municipality in Central and Western China. Its administration status has gone through the following stages.

   In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, Chongqing, a centrally-administered municipality, was a political, economic and cultural center in southwestern China, the seat of the Southwestern Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the Southwestern Military and Political Commission.

   In 1954, the Southwestern Region was restructured, and Chongqing became a city under Sichuan Province’s jurisdiction.

   In 1983, Chongqing became the first pilot city for national comprehensive economic reform with independent planning status.

   In March 1997, the Fifth Session of the Eighth National People’s Congress approved the establishment of Chongqing as a Municipality reporting directly to the Central Government, in order to promote economic and social development of the western region and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and to coordinate the planning and implementation of the Migration Project of the Three Gorges.

Chongqing has made significant achievements since becoming a centrally-administered Municipality in 1997. Chongqing is positioned as one of China’s national key cities, the economic center on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, China’s major modernized manufacturing base, a financial center in the Western Region, an international transport hub and a gateway to the world in southwest China. Great efforts have been made to accelerate the economic and social development, fully tapping its geographic advantages, sound eco-system, industrial strength, and favorable institutions. Now, Chongqing is striving to become a green, smart, human-centered, and modernized international city. The economic structure is being transformed and upgraded at a faster pace. Old industrial bases have been revived with new vitality. An electronics and IT industrial cluster of global significance and an automobile industrial cluster with national importance have been established. Strategic emerging industries are booming and burgeoning. Innovation-driven development has made further progress led by big data and smart technologies. Liangjiang New Area and Western China (Chongqing) Science City are being constructed by high standards. The engine for high-quality economic growth has been revved up. The Migration Project of the Three Gorges has been successfully completed. Various social programs have achieved progress. Poverty reduction goals have been met within the set timeframe. A moderately prosperous society in all respects has already been achieved within the set time frame. People in Chongqing have enjoyed a stronger sense of gain, of happiness and of security. Infrastructure construction has been accelerated. The length of expressways in operation has reached 3,400km. A railway hub and 10 artery railroads have been put in place. An interconnected high-speed railway network is under rapid development, stretching to eight directions. The length of high-speed rail lines in operation and under construction has totaled 1,319km. Moreover, the city is linked to the world by 101 international flight routes. Chongqing is quickly growing into a pacesetter of inland opening-up. An opening-up corridor system has been established, underpinned by the Yangtze River Golden Shipping Route and China-Europe Railway Express. The third China-Singapore Government-to-Government project has taken Chongqing as the operation center. The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), which is aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative, has been elevated to a national strategy. Practical results have been yielded in developing China (Chongqing) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Chongqing is gradually becoming an international logistics hub in inland China with competitive advantages thanks to major ports of entry. Rural revitalization and urban retrofitting programs have been advanced in a coordinated manner. The city landscape featuring Two Rivers and Four Riverbanks has won more popularity with added international profile. Efforts are expedited to build a stronger defense for ecological security on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River, Jialing River, and Wujiang River have maintained overall excellent water quality. The number of days with excellent/good air quality has reached 333 days in a year. The forest coverage rate has registered 52.5% city-wide.

At present, the governance of Chongqing is constantly improved; government officials and residents are encouraged to make new achievements; high-quality development is steadily gaining impetus; the society is increasingly harmonious and stable.

The following statistics will be strong evidences of Chongqing’s economic achievements.

In 2020:

   Chongqing’s GDP totaled RMB2.5 trillion, up by 3.9%; while the per capita GDP exceeded USD10,000.

   The added value of enterprises each with an annual income of over RMB20 million increased by 5.8%.

   Fixed asset investment, total retail sales of consumer goods and total import and export value rose by 3.9%, 1.3% and 12.5% respectively.

   The per capita disposable income of all residents in Chongqing registered an increase of 6.6%.

In the first half of this year

   Chongqing’s GDP recorded RMB12903.4 billion, up by 12.8% year-on-year.

   The added value of enterprises each with an annual income of over RMB20 million realized a year-on-year growth of 19%.

    Fixed asset investment, total retail sales of consumer goods and total import and export value increased by 9.3%, 29.9% and 37.6% respectively.

The Central Leadership has extended great care and placed high expectations on Chongqing. In January 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an inspection tour to Chongqing; in March 2018, he joined the deliberation of Chongqing delegation during the “Two Sessions”; in April 2019, he paid the second inspection tour to Chongqing. General Secretary Xi Jinping has rightly pointed out the positioning and goals of Chongqing as “dual geographic importance, twin goals and parallel progress”. He has instructed Chongqing to play “three key roles”, to foster a transparent and clean governance, and to promote Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Mega-Region, hence setting out the major direction for Chongqing’s reform and development for a new era.

   Dual Geographic Importance refers to 1) an anchor in the Large-scale Western Development and 2) a juncture of the Silk Road Economic Belt, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Yangtze Economic Belt. Thus, Chongqing is playing a unique and key role in China’s regional development and opening-up endeavors.

   Twin Goals and Parallel Progress suggest Chongqing’s goals to 1) become a leader of opening-up in inland China and 2) preserve a charming landscape of lush mountains and lucid rivers, as well as the efforts to make progress in 1) realizing high-quality development and 2) ensuring high-quality livelihood for people in Chongqing.

   Three Key Roles for Chongqing to play include 1) an anchor in the Large-scale Western Development for a new era, 2) a driver in advancing Belt and Road cooperation, and 3) a role model of green development along the Yangtze Economic Belt.

People of Chongqing are rallying closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, earnestly studying and putting into actions the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and implementing the guiding principles of the Party’s 19th National Congress and the second, third, fourth, and fifth plenary sessions of its 19th Central Committee in full.

Chongqing will thoroughly carry out the important instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping to Chongqing and the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee, ground our efforts in the new development stage, fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy, serve and integrate into the new development paradigm, and undertake the new development missions.

We will fully implement the 14th Five-Year Plan, accelerate the development of Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Mega-Region, continue to foster a transparent and clean governance, write a new chapter of high-quality development, embark on a new journey in the socialist modernization drive, and make our due contributions to realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.