BCECC Partners in China

Why Chengdu?

• Good relations with local government and CCPIT Chengdu and Sichuan dating back from the Prince Philip’s Economic Mission of 2007 when the BCECC signed a long-term cooperation agreement in the presence of HRH Princess Mathilde.
• Chengdu is one of the most competitive cities inland: labour cost, infrastructure, and regulatory framework.
• Promote the “Go-West Policy” a policy the Chinese government adopted to help develop the economy and the infrastructures amongst other, in central and western China. This plan aims to lessen the gaps and inequalities between the more advanced East coast and the less developed West. To foster investment in the area, the government provides tax breaks and incentives to investors, in addition to the region already having a cost advantage due to its lower labour costs.

Mission of the BCECC office in Chengdu:

• To map Chengdu as an investment location 
• To assist and guide interested Belgian companies going to Chengdu
• To build a strong network with local governments, businesses, and federations in Sichuan 
• To raise interest amongst companies to look at Belgium as the platform for trade and investment in Europe
• To attract delegations from Sichuan participating at trade fairs in Belgium
• To organize workshops for Sichuan companies informing them about the latest EU regulations amongst others

Economy

• Its total imports & exports rank first among those of central and western cities in China. 
• The number of Fortune 500 companies settles in Chengdu ranks first among those in central and western cities in China. 
• It has the largest railway container terminal in Asia. 
• Its financial transactions and number of foreign financial institutions rank first among the cities in Western China. 
• It has the largest pool of professionals in various fields in Western China.
• It ranks first in terms of number of foreign consulates among the cities in Central and Western China. 
• Chengdu has become the preferred place for domestic and foreign investors to invest in Western China, not only because it has outstanding advantages in investment environment, but more importantly it has broad prospects for future development and tremendous business opportunities.

Statistics

• Import and Export in the year of 2011 (From Jan 2011- Dec 2011)
  In 2011, the import and export volume of Sichuan Province to Belgium reached 223 million dollars, a year-on-year growth of 37.16%; wherein, the export volume was 198 million dollars, an increase of 50.14% and the import volume was 24.55 million dollars, a decrease of 19.25%. Foreign (Belgian) Investment as of December 2011, there are 12 Belgian-invested projects in Sichuan, involving USD 2.5million of paid-in capital. Among the world top 500, AB Inbev, the leading brewery enterprise has set up a branch in Ziyang, planning to produce over 1 million tons of beer with an expectation of the biggest brewing base in China. 
• Import and Export in the year of 2022
  In 2022, the total import and export volume of Sichuan Province exceeded one trillion yuan for the first time, ranking 8th in China, with a year-to-year growth of 6.1%. Among them, the export value came to 621.51 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.2%. The import value amounted to 386.16 billion yuan, up 1.3% year on year. Chengdu’s import and export value totaled 834.64 billion yuan, accounting for 82.8% of Sichuan’s total.

Key Sectors

• Bio-pharmaceutical Industry
  Chengdu is an important base of bio-pharmaceutical industry in China, and it is among the first national medicine export bases, a national biological industry base, and a national export and innovation base for trade promotion through the development of science and technology (in bio-pharmaceutical field). It was approved to be a “Hi-tech industrialization base of national bio-pharmaceutical materials and medical apparatuses and instruments” in 2011.
  Following stakeholder’s input, the local government of Chengdu has consistently provided policy support for the growth of the biomedical industry. For instance, in 2016, the city introduced a policy aimed at accelerating the development of Chengdu’s biopharmaceutical sector, which included increased support for research and development of new drugs and medical devices. The government also established a dedicated leading group in 2017 focused on promoting pharmaceutical and health-related businesses. In April 2020, the Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone announced several new policies aimed at further fostering the growth of the bio-industry ecosystem and improve its competitiveness.
• Electronic Information
  Chengdu is home to the most competitive IT industry cluster in western China. An industrial chain to manufacture integrated circuit, optoelectronics display, digital video & audio, optical communication products, and original-equipment products of electronic terminal has been formed in Chengdu, with representative enterprises such as IBM, Intel, Texas Instrument, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Ericsson, Dell, Lenovo, Foxconn, Compal, Wistron, and others.
• Logistics Industry
  Chengdu is favored by comparative advantages in preferential location, complete logistic infrastructures, strong scientific and technological strength, a large pool of professional talent, advanced communication technologies, and abundant information resources to build a logistics hub in Western China.
• Automobile Industry
  Through years of rapid development, solid foundation has been laid for the automobile industry of Chengdu, forming distinct features and edge, and becoming one of the leading industries of the city. There are 139 automobile enterprises above the designated size, including 17 whole vehicles and refitted car manufacturers and 122 spare parts enterprises, with more than 50,000 employees.