Fuzhou and Economic Trends

Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, located on China’s southeastern coast. With a long tradition as a coastal port and shipbuilding center, it is one of the major coastal cities in the country. It covers an area of 12,231 square kilometers with a population of 8 million and has jurisdiction over 6 districts, 1 county-level city, and 6 counties.

Fuzhou has a convenient transportation network comprised of a three-in-one system of sea, land and air transportation. The Fuzhou Changle International Airport serves 98 cities around the world with 128 domestic and overseas routes, while the Fuzhou Port, the largest water transport terminal junction in the province, connects the city to the main harbors along the Yangtze River and to over 30 ports in more than 20 countries and regions.

The city is a center for commercial banking, woodworking, engineering, papermaking, and textile industries. Fuzhou features 22 industry parks and development zones.

In 2021, the GDP reached 1.13 trillion RMB, up 8.4% compared to the previous year, while the GDP per capita amounted to 75,259 RMB. The total value of Fuzhou’s international trade reached 332 billion RMB in 2021, with the exports amounting to 220 billion RMB and the total value of imports to 112 billion RMB.

The Chinese City Tier System consists of a system of tiers used by analysts to classify Chinese cities and rank them in a hierarchy. Cities in different tiers reflect differences in consumer behaviour, income level, population size, consumer sophistication, infrastructure, talent pool, and business opportunity.