¡¡ £ Located in East China, the most thriving area of the country, adjoining provinces like Jiangsu and Zhejiang on its east, Hubei and Henan on its west, Jiangxi on the south and Shandong on its north, Anhui province plays an important role in connecting the West and the East of China. The province covers an area of 139,600km2 with the two major rivers, Yantze River and Yellow River, running across it and a population of about 63,280,000. It has been become the nation's burgeoning processing and manufacturing base and ideal place for investors and entrepreneurs.

¡¡¡¡Anhui is blessed with spectacular natural landscapes like the Yellow Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain and the Taiping Lake, and a cultural heritage boasting famous ancient cultural figures like Laozi and Zhuangzi, two giants of Taoism. University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)--the prestigious research university of the nation, Hefei Branch of Chinese Academy of Science and other research institutes have made Hefei, the capital of the province, one of the four major national bases of science and education. The New and Hi-tech Development Zone of Hefei is ratified by the State Council as China APEC Science and Technology Industrial Park, which is especially open to all APEC members. Anhui is abundant in agricultural products and mineral resources and with a sound industrial and commercial ground, it also has many renowned enterprises and corporations such as Meiling, the Royal Star, Ma'anshan Steel& Iron, Tongling Non-ferrous Metal, JAC, Fengyuan BioTech, Conch Cement and so on. The improved infrastructure provides mature transportation, logistic and information systems. People here are working industriously to build up a prosperous future.

¡¡¡¡Gradually expanding before the world as a place with opportunities, potential and preferential investment environment, Anhui is attracting many overseas investors. Siemenz, ABB, Saint-Gobain£¬Hitachi, Sanyo, Coca Cola and many other members of FORTUNE's Global 500 companies have rooted, blossomed and rewarded in Anhui, which also has greatly promoted the economic development of the province. Anhui has established trade and economic cooperation with more than 170 countries and areas and utilized foreign investment has amounted to USD 6.54 billion. Over 60 countries and areas have founded 4,937 foreign invested enterprises here. The general framework of constructing Anhui as a fully open-up land has been completed.

¡¡¡¡In 2002, the provincial GDP amounted 356.9 billion RMB, increased by 8.9% compare with that of the previous year. The industrial production value reached 208,95 billion RMB, with an increase of 15.6 and the social consumption goods amounted to 122.87 billion RMB, increased by 7.5%. With an export volume of USD2.45 billion and an import volume of USD1.73 billion, increased by 7.5% and 29.6% respectively compared with last year, the total import and export volume concluded 4.18 billion, registering an increase of 15.7%.
¡¡¡¡In the sector of foreign capital utilization, the realized foreign capital of Anhui amounted USD740 million in 2002, increased by 53.4% compared with the previous year, among which the FDI was USD380 million and foreign investment in other forms was USD120million. The foreign loan the province obtained in 2002 reached USD240 million. The province approved the establishment of 338 foreign-funded businesses by the end of 2002, increased by 30%, and the contracted foreign capital amounted USD890 million while the realized foreign capital reached USD380million, increased by 37.8% and 11.4% respectively. A greater increase in realized foreign capital is witnessed in the fields of specified equipment manufacture, textile manufacture, medicines, retailing and whole selling, catering, electronic telecommunication and so on.
¡¡¡¡In 2002 the total volume of foreign trade and economic cooperation between Anhui and other countries and areas experience a steady growth and remarkable structural optimization. 29 foreign trade and economic cooperation enterprises signed 294 foreign contracts which totaled USD27million, and the accomplished a turnover of USD11 million. 3,493 laborers were sent abroad and by the end of 2002, all together 6,806 laborers stayed overseas. The newly signed contract and accomplished turnover remained the same with the previous year on the whole. The number of laborers sent abroad increased by 36.6% compared with the previous year. For the first time the turnover of the contracted projects, composing 60% of the total, became the major component of the overall turnover of foreign trade and economic cooperation.
¡¡¡¡The entry of China to WTO marks a new stage for the country's reform and opening up. Under the guidelines of developing the economy of the province and making its people affluent, Anhui will adopt a full opening-up policy. The provincial government has determined to further both the internal and external opening-up, to utilize the foreign capitals in a more active, reasonable and effective way and to expand its foreign trade so as to promote the reorganization, reform and development. Emphasis of attracting foreign investment is given to fields of the reconstruction and reamalgamation of the major enterprises, modern service and trade, developmental agriculture, new and hi-tech industry and infrastructure construction. During the years of implementing "the Tenth Five-year plan", the annual increase of the provincial GDP is expected to be about 8.5% with a total investment of 600 billion RMB, and the annual increase of the I&E is expected to be over 10% percent with a total volume worth USD 5 billion.

¡¡¡¡The province keeps making great efforts to improve the investment environment. In the next five years, Anhui will further promote the investment in infrastructure among which the investment in transportation is expected to amount 60 billion RMB and the investment in environmental protection is expected to reach 20 billion RMB. At the same time, the province is paying more attention to the improvement of the soft environment for investment to adapt to the new situation after China's entry of WTO. It is accelerating the innovation in concepts, regulations and technology, the shift of governmental function and the cultivation of foreign business oriented talents. The province is also reinforcing the legal enforcement, and implementing the advanced "One Station service". The complaints of the investors are seriously dealt with and their legal rights and interests are carefully protected.

¡¡¡¡Anhui Province is carrying out the strategy of "diversifying the market" and taking full advantage of the expanded market access allowed by the international market. Taking "explore the market, modify the structure, stabilize the policies and expand export" as its guideline, and "promote the economy with science and technology, seek and develop international cooperation, further the reform of the foreign trade and economy system" as its emphasis, the province is experiencing a fast and sustained development.

¡¡¡¡Anhui is a land open up to the world. We, people here, hope to further the communication and cooperation with the world to let Anhui go global and to let the world know more about our province.