Situated in the central part of the area around Bohai Sea and facing Japan and Korea across the sea, Hebei Province not only serves as a passage connecting Northeast China with other provinces in China, but as an important north outlet to sea for the Northwest provinces. This area, designated by the Chinese government as one of the major zones for opening-up and development, is becoming one of the best examples as far as the performance of reform and opening-up and the pace of economic development are concerned. As the only province surrounding Beijing and Tianjin, Hebei maintains long-standing ties with the two metropolises. Naturally, with mutual influence and infiltration in their economies, the Jing-Jin-Ji(Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) Economic Zone has been formed. Hence, Hebei province will provide an ecological protective screen, serve as a protective river and rear garden for the capital, meanwhile, Hebei province will certainly become the important base for Beijing,Tianjin for green food production & supply, scientific achievements transformation and industrial auxiliary equipments manufacturing. Economic integration and interaction in this area will be steadily enhanced with the gradual establishment of the market economic system.
With 6.4846 million hectares of cultivated land, Hebei province is one of the major production bases of cereals, cotton and vegetable oils. Its coastal belt, with a surface of 1 million hectares and more than 200 kinds of marine organisms, serves as an important base of aquatic products in north China. Hebei is also among the major provinces with rich mineral resources in China. More than 116 minerals in deposit have been discovered so far, and reserves of 74 varieties verified, with those of 45 varieties taking the top ten places in the mainland provinces. These resources are widely spread and present a fairly systematic distribution which provides favorable conditions for building large complexes of iron and steel, Building Materials and Chemical Industry and developing coal chemical, salt chemical and petrochemical industries. Hebei is one of the provinces with most abundant tourist resources and takes the third place in terms of historical relics. With 670 historical relics under provincial or state protection , 88 of which under state protection and 15 grade A scenic spots at state level, placing in the front row in the state. The Imperial Summer Resort and temples around in Chengde, the Royal Tombs of Ming and Qing Dynasty and the Great Wall are listed among the world cultural heritage. Eight key tourist lines around Beijing have been constructed in Hebei province, in which Beijing-Jinshanling-Chengde-Weichang, Beijing-Huairou-The first prairie north of Beijing in Fengning, Beijing-Huailai-Zhuolu-Zhangjiakou-Chongli-Guyuan-Chicheng,Beijing-Yeshanpo-Laiyuan,Beijing-East Tomb of Qing Dynasty-Tangshan-Qinhuangdao,etc.features ecological environment with beaches,twittering birds,forestry,prairie,lakes,ice and snow,hot springs integrated together as well as features local cultures, the other lines as Beijing-Xianghe -Wuqiao-Hengshui, Beijing-Zhuozhou-West Tomb of Qing dynasty-Baoding-Baiyangdian-Shijiazhuang-Xingtai-Handan and the Great Wall special tourist line in Hebei embody the abundant cultural and custom characteristics, which are warmly welcome by tourists.
Hebei Province situated in the area as a hub of communications through which Beijing connects itself with other parts of the country. After years of construction, a comprehensive Communications system integrated by land ways, seaways and airways, has been formed. There are 15 railways and 17 national trunk-roads extending across the province, put Hebei in the first place among all the mainland provinces in terms of rail freight and highway freight respectively. The total length of expressways in operation has extended to 1480 kilometers, ranking the second among the mainland provinces. Hebei enjoys convenient ocean shipping facilities .The four major seaports, lining up from north to south, are Qinhuangdao, Jingtang, Tianjin and Huanghua which is now under construction, with annual handling capacity amounting to 130 million tons. Shijiazhuang Airport was designated by the state as an international port. The Capital Airport of Beijing and the Tianjin International Airport are available to Hebei as well. With the rapid development of post and telecommunications, the domestic and international direct dial service and the mobile communication network are available in all the cities and counties of the province. The multi-media communication network-Yanzhao Information Bay has been made available for use. The convenient Communications and communications keep Hebei in close connection with each part of the world for the purpose of smooth international exchange and cooperation.
With the constant increase of the urban and rural resident’s income and the further improvement of the people’s living standards, Hebei has formed a huge market. The total retail volume of social consumer goods increases rapidly. By 2001, the per capita disposable income of the residents in cities and towns reaches RMB 5985 yuan while per capita net income of farmers, RMB 2604 yuan. The Jing-Jin-Ji Economic Zone, consisting of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei with a consumer group of nearly 120 million and occupying over 10% of the total market capacity in the mainland, is one of the largest markets in China. While acting as a center of commodity circulation for east China, south China and southwest China to connect with the “Three North Areas”, e.g. northeast China, northwest China and north China, Hebei also serves as an important outlet to sea for the “Three North Areas”. . Ever since ancient times, Hebei has been known as a famous distributing center for all kinds of goods in north China. With the sustained development of the market economy, the market potential in this area will be brought into better play. Therefore, to make investments and establish businesses in Hebei can help you not only set foot in the local market but easily enter the markets in Beijing and Tianjin, and further explore the markets in the “Three North Areas”.
