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Northeast China: Harbin
Harbin, nicknamed the “Oriental Moscow” for its distinctive architecture, is home to major manufacturing industries however, it is arguably more important as a shopping and tourism center. Compared to the prosperous east coast cities, Harbin cannot compete when it comes to FDI but there is much potential for business and companies are slowly beginning to realize this.
Infrastructure
Harbin is one of the largest railway hubs in Northeast China. Five major railways (Jingha, Binsui, Binzhou, Binbei and Labin) meet here. Currently 138 trains terminate in or pass through Harbin daily, with trains available to Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Jinan and many other major cities in China.
The Harbin Taiping International Airport is the second largest international airport in Northeast China. There are flights to/from more than 30 large and medium-sized cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.
There are more than 1,900 rivers in Heilongjiang, including the Songhua River, Heilongjiang River and Wusulijiang River, creating a convenient system of waterway transportation. Harbin harbor is one of eight inland ports in China and the largest of its type in Northeast China. Available from mid-April until the beginning of November, passenger ships sail from Harbin up the Songhua River to Qiqihar, or downstream to Jiamusi, Tongjiang, and Khabarovsk in Russia.
Economy and investment climate
While Dalian is considered the region’s shipping center and Shenyang its financial hub, Harbin is striving hard towards becoming the key trade and shopping center of the region. The city is located in one of the fastest growing regions in the world and can boast a number of advantages such as an abundance of natural resources, good transport system and plenty of human resources.
In 2007, Harbin's GDP reached RMB243.68 billion, an increase of 16.4 percent over the previous year. Tertiary industry output remained the largest component of GDP reaching RMB118.7 billion, an increase of 17.4 percent from the previous year. The total value for imports and exports by the end of 2007 was US$3.29 billion.
The soil in Harbin, called “black earth” is one the most nutrient rich in all of China, making it valuable for cultivating food and textile-related crops. As a result, Harbin is China’s base for the production of commodity grain and an ideal location for setting up agricultural businesses. Harbin also has industries such as light industry, textile, medicine, foodstuff, automobile, metallurgy, electronics, building materials, and chemicals which help to form a fairly comprehensive industrial system. Harbin Power Equipment Group Company and Northeast Light Alloy Processing Factory are two key enterprises. Harbin is also known as the capital of “power manufacturing”; hydro and thermal power equipment manufactured here makes up one-third of the total installed capacity in China.
To read the full version of this article, please purchase the January/February 2009 issue of China Briefing, which can be found in the Asia Briefing Bookstore. Companies requiring assistance may contact any Dezan Shira & Associates' nine national offices at china@dezshira.com for advice or visit www.dezshira.com.
For assistance with investment or inquiries about Harbin please contact beijing@dezshira.com.
Other information concerning China’s cities can be obtained from the City Guide section of the China Expat website at www.chinaexpat.com.
