Juggernaut, metropolis, or location for dooms-day science-fictions; Chongqing is all of it. Yet, the world knows little about this huge municipality; the largest in the world. A gigantic melting-pot at the Yangtze River, where high-rise buildings are shooting up like mushrooms. Not pretty for sure, but impressive; if not frightening.
Chongqing (重庆) is a megalopolis in Southwest China with 19 districts, 19 counties and over 1’200 townships and sub-districts. In 2013, the population was 27‘753‘063 and it is assumed that, including the urbanized area, the greater area has over 34 million residents. Chongqing is one of China four direct-controlled municipalities (with Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin).
Although little known to the West, the city has its good share in history. After its first settlement around 1000 BC, and later known as Jiangzhou and Chungking, it became a formal municipality in 1929. During the 2nd Sino-Japanese War, the defence industry was big; mainly because of the mountainous environment, which made it difficult for the Japanese to attack the city. Chiang Kai-shek made it then the provisional capital of China, until the Nationalist KMT government fled in 1949 to Taiwan. Chongqing, as we know it today, was created by Beijing’s State Council in 1997 and is a result of the Chinese government’s campaign “Go West”, as an attempt to build up the population in the interior of the country through business development and investments in infrastructure. Chongqing’s abbreviated name derives from the old name of the Jialing River that runs through Chongqing and feeds into the Yangtze River. And so, Chongqing now serves as fast emerging economic centre of the upstream Yangtze basin.
From Qinghai Tibet to East China Sea
In fact, the Yangtze River is a key ‘obstetrician’ to Chongqing recent economic growth, respectively the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. First envisioned 1919 by Sun Yat-sen, the preliminary work began as early as 1932. Although Mao Zedong supported the project after the Communist takeover in 1949, the project eventually dies. And it was not until the 1980s, when the idea reemerged. The dam was approved in 1992 by the National People’s Congress and constructions started two years later. It was expected to be fully operational in 2009, but was only so in May of 2012. Now, bulk transport (coal, raw minerals and containerized goods) is possible all the way upstream to Chongqing. To be followed by an increasing number of tourism cruise-liners.
Murder case to create awareness
It was Bo Xilai, who served as secretary of the local Communist Party and as a member of the Central Politburo, who, intentionally or not, brought Chongqing into international awareness. He was known for heavy-landed populism, initiating particularly campaigns against organised crime. Under his leadership, Chongqing created consistent double-digit percentage GDP growth, yet Bo soon became a controversial figure (reportedly, he had personal assets of US$ 136 million). His career came to an abrupt end following the homicide case involving his wife Gu Kailai and British business associate Neil Heywood, who was found dead 2011 at his at Chongqing hotel. His wife received a suspended death sentence, and Bo was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Today, Chongqing is beyond its ‘Bo-years’. In 2012, the GDP grew by 13.6% to US$184 billion, which is the second fastest growth rate in China. Domestic and foreign direct investments to the municipality grow year-on-year by 20%. Foreign trade surged in 2012 by an incredible 82.2% and exports almost double on an annual basis. But Chongqing needs to improve its infrastructure, and, as often in developing regions, the tourism- and exhibition-industries lead the way. International flights are still limited and lead by Thai and Singapore Airlines (only Finnair offers direct flights to Europe), but corresponding flights via Beijing, Shanghai or Chengdu are fully available. The expansion of the Jiangbei Airport is underway; the authorities aim at becoming within a decade the largest airport in Western China. Key international hotel brands keep opening up; Kempinski for example last year, and Westin these very days.
Few foreigners yet
The only thing presently missing is expatriates. Although the “foreign expert’s affairs authorities” announced that it is going to welcome more expatriates to help with the city's economic and social development, in fact, only a couple of thousand Westerners are believed to work and study in Chongqing. One of them is Dany Lützel, Residence Manager at the Kempinski. “You have to understand that Chongqing is still the pure China; and not like Shanghai or Hong Kong. What you need here is flexibility, persistency, Chinese cultural awareness, and a good sense of humor. If you can make it here, you can make it everywhere.”
Chongqing is a rough place, for sure, but worthwhile to be placed on the global radar.