Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Chongqing over the first 10 months of 2011 exceeded US$5bn, up 82 per cent over the same period last year, and ranking first in the country for the fourth year running. Utilised FDI is expected to total US$10bn by the end of the year, nearly 10 times that of 2007.

By the end of October, 195 multinationals out of Fortune 500 had established a presence in Chongqing, according to reports from the Foreign Trade and Co-operation Commission of Chongqing municipal government. The figure is expected to exceed 200 by the end of the year, a sign that the city is fast emerging as one of the most popular FDI destinations in China.