Xuzhou and Economic Trends

Xuzhou is a major prefecture-level city in northwestern Jiangsu province. The city has abundant water resources, with more than 213 rivers flowing within its boundary and two major lakes. It covers an area of 11,259 square kilometers with a population of 9 million and has jurisdiction over 10 county-level divisions, including 5 districts, 2 county-level cities, and 3 counties.

Xuzhou has been an industrial center for the past decades, and the recent investments have added more industrial sectors and enhanced the infrastructures. The city has become one of the most critical cities in the economic development region, the Huaihai (Huai River) Economic and Development Zone which involves four provinces in the East of China. The city has abundant coal mineral, one of the largest natural resources in this region. Coal has become one of the important fuels in Xuzhou in producing electricity and other energies. Other natural resources include marble, lime, and salt.

In 2021, the GDP reached 812 billion RMB, up 8.7% compared to the previous year, while the GDP per capita amounted to 89,400 RMB. The total value of Xuzhou’s international trade reached 125 billion RMB in 2021, with the exports amounting to 105 billion RMB and the total value of imports to 20 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.