About Yangtze River Delta

In 2007, the GDP in Yangtze River Delta region topped 5.6 trillion yuan, about 22 percent of the nation's total, while its population account for about 6 percent.

The city cluster is strong in industry, finance, trade, education, science and technology and culture.

The region relies on low-end processing business, foreign investment and international buyers. More than 80 percent of the manufacturers are OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) while 18.3 percent are ODM (Original Design Manufacturer), showing its reliance on simple processing and assembling for trade.

Majority of labor-intensive businesses rely on orders from EU and US companies or their distributors. Only some of them focus on the domestic market with regional brands.

The region is heavily dependent on foreign investment. Nearly 70 percent of exports in Shanghai and Jiangsu are from foreign companies based in the region.

(China Daily 01/19/2009 page1)