Changchun achieved a GDP of RMB332.9 billion in 2010, representing a rise of 15.3% year on year. Primary industry output increased by 3.3 percent to RMB25.27 billion. Secondary industry output experienced an increase of 19.0 percent, reaching RMB171.99 billion, while the tertiary industry output increased 12.6 percent to RMB135.64 billion. [3]
The city’s leading industries are foodstuffs, photoelectronic information, biology and medicine, and automotive. Changchun is the largest automobile manufacturing base in China, producing 9% of the country's automobiles in 2009.[18] As cradle of the auto industry, and home to FAW, China’s biggest vehicle producer, one of Changchun’s better known nicknames is "China's Detroit".[19]
Changchun is increasingly faced with competition from nearby cities, seeing its dominance of the northeast as a regional industrial powerhouse diminish as other nearby cities continue to narrow the gap.[20]
Foreign direct investment in the city was US$640 million,[when?] up 10.1% year on year. However, investors still need to be convinced. iN 2004 Coca-Cola set up a bottling plant in the city’s ETDZ in 2004 with an investment of US$20 million.[20]
Changchun is an important transportation and communication hub of Northeast China - it is situated as the Northeast Asia's geometric center. South Liaodong peninsula coastline, north to Russia and Eastern Europe, east to North Korea, South Korea, Russia, and west to Mongolia.
Changchun's main industry is the manufacturing of transportation facilities and machinery. It produces 50 percent of passenger trains (see Changchun Railway Vehicles), and 10 percent of tractors made in China.
Changchun is the largest automobile research and development center in China. The first Chinese truck and car was made in Changchun. FAW (First Automotive Works) Group is based in Changchun. The automaker's factories
