重庆：中国西部唯一直辖市

重庆，位于长江、嘉陵江交汇处，是中国西南地区的工商业重镇，也是中国西部唯一的中央直辖市、长江上游地区经济中心。她是悬挂于联合国大厅的世界地图上仅有标注的中国四大城市之一。

重庆是一座具有悠久历史的文化名城。公元前11世纪，巴国在此建都。公元1189年，宋光宗在此先封王后登帝位，自诩“双重喜庆”，重庆由此得名。抗日战争时期，重庆为国民政府战时陪都。

中华人民共和国成立后，重庆于1950年成为中央直辖市，1954年改为四川省辖市，1983年成为中央经济计划单列市。1997年3月，全国人大第八届五次会议批准重庆设立为中央直辖市。

重庆幅员面积8.24万平方公里,户籍人口3375万人，共辖38个区县（自治县）。

枢纽重庆

重庆地处中国中部和西部地区的结合部，铁路、水路、公路、航空、管道运输等发展很快，是中国西部地区唯一汇集水、陆、空交通资源的枢纽型特大城市。

近年来，重庆围绕内陆开放高地建设，在构建开放通道、发展外向型产业集群、提升通关便利化水平等方面取得积极进展，铁水空枢纽、口岸和保税区“三个三合一”口岸经济发展初具规模，内陆开放高地建设有序推进、成效显著，空间和潜力巨大。

重庆拥有得天独厚的黄金水道——长江。三峡工程竣工后，万吨级轮船可直达重庆港。重庆寸滩国际集装箱港是目前国内内陆航运最大港口。重庆港口年货物通过能力达1.45亿吨，其中集装箱通过能力300万标箱，基本建成长江上游航远中心。

现在，重庆国际航线总数达到40余条，国内航线130余条。重庆江北国际机场年进出港客流量已近三千万人次，货邮吞吐量近30万吨。通航城市达120个，其中国内88个，国际和地区32个。重庆是中国十大民用机场之一。去年，重庆江北国际机场客流增长量全国第一。重庆机场已跨入国际大型机场的行列，在全球2万多个机场中跨入前100名。

重庆还是丝绸之路大动脉——“渝新欧”国际铁路的起点。这条铁路由沿途六个国家铁路、海关部门共同协调建立，实行“一处关检，全程通行”。重庆到欧洲杜伊斯堡全程运行时间为14天左右，比海运节省30多天，比空运便宜4/5。全程GPS定位系统跟踪。

产业重庆

举世瞩目的三峡工程建设和库区移民开发，为重庆发展注入了新的活力；中央直辖市的设立，开辟了重庆发展的新天地；西部大开发战略的实施，揭开了重庆加快发展的新篇章；内陆开放高地的建设，让重庆绚丽登上世界舞台。

重庆直辖后，全市工业、商贸业、金融业、交通运输业、电信业等快速发展，对外开放迈出实质性步伐。目前，重庆是中国最大的“汽车之都”。电子信息产业正成为重庆工业增长第一驱动力。

重庆亦是中国西部重要的金融中心和通信枢纽。

重庆正做大做强集成电路、液晶面板、物联网、机器人、石墨烯和纳米新材料、新能源及智能汽车、页岩气、MDI一体化、生物医药、环保装备等十大战略性新兴产业。

开放重庆

如今的重庆正大力建设内陆开放高地，对外开放呈全方位、多层次、宽领域状态。目前，重庆已与174个国家和地区建立了经济贸易合作关系，世界500强企业中有一半落户重庆。2014年，重庆市实际利用外资106亿美元，进出口总额达955亿美元，增速位居全国前列。

随着“渝新欧”国际铁路联运大通道正式成型，成为横跨欧亚大陆和新丝绸之路经济带的“大动脉”，重庆有效打破内陆开放物流瓶颈，一举成为中国对外开放的桥头堡。

目前，重庆正结合“五大功能区域”建设要求进行改革创新，加快培育跨境贸易电子商务等外经贸竞争新优势，积极探索建立与国际投资贸易规则一致的管理体系，推进贸易、投资、金融、税收等创新和政策试点，不断完善开放型经济政策体系。

开放重庆，正致力打造中国中西部的领事高地。近年来，外国政府来渝设立领事馆数量猛增，这进一步推动了重庆与世界各国在商贸、教育、文化、旅游、海外投资等领域的合作。目前，相继已有加拿大、英国、柬埔寨、日本、丹麦、菲律宾、匈牙利、埃塞俄比亚、荷兰、意大利等10国政府来渝设立领事机构，领馆数量跃居中西部省市前列，这为把重庆建成中西部地区领事高地创造了有利条件。重庆辐射带动西部地区的战略地位进一步显现。

此外，香港特区政府也在重庆设立了联络处。重庆是中国五大外国新闻机构常驻城市之一，也是中西部地区唯一的境外媒体驻站城市，目前已有包括新加坡联合早报、日本经济新闻社等7家境外媒体在重庆设站。

从1982年重庆与法国图卢兹市缔结第一对友好城市开始，经过30多年孜孜不倦的努力，重庆已拥有34对国际友好城市、50余对国际友好交流城市。重庆借助这些涉外机构的“纽带”与“桥梁”作用，将全面助推重庆与国外的经济合作，助推重庆对外开放。

今天的重庆彰显出新的国际大都市的无穷魅力，正张开宽广的怀抱迎接四方宾朋。

Chongqing: the Only Municipality in Western China

Chongqing,located at the intersection between Yangtze River and Jialing River,is a key city of commerce and industry in the southwest China,the only municipality directly under the central government,and the economic center in the upper reaches of Yangtze River,as well as one of the only four cities in China on the map of the world hung in the hall of the United Nations.

Chongqing is a well-known cultural city with rich history.In the eleventh century B.C,the State of Ba was established here.It received its current name in 1189,after Prince Zhao Dun of the Southern Song Dynasty described his crowning as king and then Emperor Guangzong as a "double celebration".During the Anti - Japanese War,it became the war-time capital of China.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China,Chongqing became a municipality directly under the central government in 1950,a city under the government of Sichuan Province in 1954 and then was listed in the State budget with the authority in the management of economic affairs of the provincial level in 1983.In March 1997,Chongqing became a municipality directly under the central government,when a bill was approved at the Fifth Session of the Eighth National People's Congress.

Chongqing,with an area of 82,400 km2,has a population of 33.75 million and 38 districts or counties (autonomous counties).

Transportation Hub

Connecting Central and western China,Chongqing enjoys rapid development in railway,waterway,highway,aviation,and pipeline transportation.In western China,it is the only megacity converging water,land and air transportation resources.

In the recent years,Chongqing,focusing on building an inland opening-up highland,has made great progress in channel opening,export-oriented industrial clusters,customs facilitation and so on.Its port economy integrating railwaywaterway-air hub,port and bonded area is taking shape.The construction of the inland opening-up highland,being orderly carried out,has seen remarkable achievements and still has great untapped potential.

Chongqing is blessed with a golden waterway - Yangtze River.After Three Gorges Project (TGP) is completed,10,000-ton ships can directly reach Chongqing Port.Chongqing Cuntan International Container Terminal is the biggest port for inland navigation in the country.Chongqing has an annual port handling capacity reaching 145 million tons,of which the throughput capacity of containers is 3 million TEU and has basically built a shipping centre on the upper reaches of the Yangtze.

People’s Great Hall of Chongqing Photoed by Wang Daixiang

Now,the number of international flight routes amounts to 40 and domestic flight routes more than 130.The inbound and outbound traffic of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has reached almost 30 million,cargo throughput near 300 thousand tons,and navigable cities 120,of which 88 are domestic ones and 32 are regional and international ones.Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport,as one of China’s top ten civil airports,ranks first nationwide in passenger volume growth,making it to top 100 among over 20,000 airports worldwide.

Chongqing is also the starting point of Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe International Railway (also named Yu Xin’Ou) which is honored as the modern “Silk Road”.This railway is jointly constructed by railway departments and customs of six countries along the route and there is just one customs inspection along the whole route between Chongqing and Central Asia.It takes just 14 days on average to transport goods from Chongqing to Duisburg,30 days fewer than by sea,and cheaper by 4/5 than air transportation.GPS is available throughout the journey.

Industries

The remarkable TGP and relocation of people from reservoir area have injected new vitality to Chongqing;being municipality directly under the central government opens up new possibilities;the strategy of the Western Development Strategy opens a new chapter for its rapid development;the construction of inland opening-up highland enables Chongqing stride onto the world stage.

After becoming a municipality directly under the central government,Chongqing’s industry,commerce,financial industry,transportation industry and telecommunications industry have enjoyed rapid development.Opening-up has seen substantial progress.At present,Chongqing is known as the biggest “automobile capital”of China.Electronic information industry is becoming the first driving force for Chongqing’s industrial growth.

Chongqing is also the financial center and communication center of western China.

Chongqing is also enlarging and strengthening ten strategic emerging industries,including IC,LCD panel,Internet of Things,robot,grapheme and new nanometer,new energy and smart car,shale gas,MDI integration,biological medicine and environmental protection equipment.

Opening-up

Today,Chongqing is making every effort to build an inland opening-up highland.An all-dimensional,multi-layered and wide-ranging opening pattern is taking shape.

Currently,Chongqing has established economic and trade cooperation ties with 174 countries and regions.Half of Fortune 500 has settled in Chongqing.In 2014,its foreign investment in actual use registered 10.6 billion dollars and total volume of foreign trade 95.5 billion dollars,taking the national leading position.

As Yu Xin'Ou Railway,the main artery crossing Eurasia and the new silk road economic belt,is shaping up,Chongqing moves logistics obstacles for inland opening up to become the bridgehead of opening-up.

At present,Chongqing,combining the construction requirements of “Five Functional Areas”,is carrying out reform and innovation,accelerating developing new competitive advantages of such foreign trades as e-commerce of crossborder ones,establishing the management system consistent with international investment ＆ trade rules,promoting innovative and policy pilot projects of trade,investment,finance,tax and the like and improving the open economy policy system.

The opening Chongqing is engaged in becoming the highland for consulates in middle and western China.In recent years,more and more countries have set up consulates in Chongqing,further promoting the cooperation on commerce,trade,education,culture,tourism,foreign investment and the like between Chongqing and various countries.So far,10 countries have set up consulates in Chongqing,including Canada,the United Kingdom,Cambodia,Japan,Denmark,Philippines,Hungary,Ethiopia,Netherlands and Italy.As a result,Chongqing is now No.1 for consulates in middle and western provinces,thus becoming the third city for consulates in China.This is an advantage to turn Chongqing into the highland for consulates in middle and western China.In addition,Chongqing’s strategic position becomes more visible in radiating and leading the western China.

Moreover,the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has set up a liaison office in Chongqing.Chongqing is one of Chinese cities where five famous foreign news agencies are permanently stationed and also the only one in middle and western China where foreign media are stationed.So far,7 foreign media have set up offices in Chongqing,including Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore,NIKKEI of Japan,etc.

Since the conclusion of the first pair of sister cities between Chongqing and Toulouse,France in 1982,Chongqing has now established sister-city relationships with 33 foreign cities and friendly-exchange relationships with over 50 foreign cities all over the world after more than thirty –year efforts.With the help of the functions of “link”and “bridge”with these foreign institutions,Chongqing will roundly promote its economic cooperation with foreign countries,as well as its opening to the world.

The Chongqing today is highlighting its boundless charm as a new international metropolis and welcoming friends all across the world.