Liaoning provincial capital

The city of Shenyang covers a 13,000-square-kilometer area, and has an urban area of 3,495 sq km and is the economic, transportation, commercial, political, and cultural center of Liaoning province. It holds the provincial government and people's congress. According to the United Nations urban population list, Shenyang ranks 52nd among the world's most populated cities, and 10th among China's, with 7.17 million people, 4.64 million of them in the city proper. The city also ranked 10th on the "Most Competitive Cities of China 2010" list for the mainland and 14th among 294 cities that include Hong Kong, Macao, Taipei and Kaohsiung, on a list compiled by the China Academy of Social Science, based on eight indicators -- human resources, enterprises, industries, public sector, living environment, business environment, social environment, and innovation.

Geographical advantages

The city is in the central part of Liaoning and embraces plains, hills, and mountains and has the Liaohe, Hunhe, and Xiushuihe rivers running through it. It has a semi-humid continental climate with average temperatures of 8.3 C and annual precipitation of 500-mm, and 183 frost-free days. It sees periods of intense rainfall with sharp temperature differences and has four distinct seasons. This is the biggest city in the Northeast and it has a broad range of industries that make it the center of the Northeast Asia Economic Zone and Bohai Economic Belt. Its greater area includes seven major cities within a distance of 150 kilometers. Together, these eight cities contain either basic or processing industries and complement each other in industrial resources and top technology. Its transportation system is developed and its Taoxian International Airport is the biggest in the Northeast, while its railway and highway networks the best anywhere in China. For port access the port cities of Dalian and Yingkou are less than 400 kilometers away, while nearby Jinzhou Port is under construction. The city also has played a decisive role in China's military history.

Foreign trade and investment

Shenyang has seen rapid growth in foreign trade, both in imports and exports in the 2005-08 period while its foreign direct investment grew quickly as well, and accounted for 34 percent of all foreign investment in the province in 2009. To attract more investors, the city has been improving its investment services and has gotten good feedback from foreign investors. It now holds at least 50 Global Fortune 500 enterprises, including BMW, General Electric, Siemens, HSBC and BASF.

Living in Shenyang

The city is a very convenient place to live, with good public facilities, a well-organized public transportation system, and its first subway line ready in September 2010. It has all the needed facilities for foreign and domestic businesses, such as international schools and hospitals, international hotels, shopping malls and supermarkets such as Wal-Mart, Metro, and Carrefour. It also has many Korean and Japanese restaurants, as well as Western restaurants and fast food chains, such as McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut. Visitors can also enjoy a fresh Paulaner beer at the Kempinski Hotel, while the consulate district contains the Swiss restaurant, Heidi's. To develop itself into a true metropolitan setting in the near future, the city is paying more attention to its level of internationalization and to catering to multicultural needs.

Investment welcome

Along with its rapid economic growth, the city has seen greater opportunities so the government decided to develop a national equipment manufacturing center here, along with a trade and logistics center, and a financial center for the Northeast by 2012, and to make it a leader in economic development fot the entire region. Given its favorable location, well-established industrial foundation and recent national policies, Shenyang is set to prosper and become one of the most attractive investment destinations in China.