Global investors going west (2)

"Many products made in China are being sold on the global market," she added.

"The Chinese market is often used to balance other emerging markets, including India and South Africa. Our research and development team in China has doubled but is still very busy."

DuPont's annual Chinese sales were around $3 billion, between 8 and 9 percent of the company's global sales. It has about 7,000 Chinese employees, within a global workforce of 67,000.

Ge added that the city invites multinational companies into Chengdu, which are not just eyeing local or provincial markets.

"We expect products developed by these companies to go to the global market."

Chengdu is considered the development powerhouse of the western region, receiving the highest amount of non-financial foreign direct investment.

FDI in the western region surged 25.7 percent year-on-year in the first four months of this year to $3.11 billion, compared with a 1.1 percent decline in the eastern region, and a 5.7 percent rise in the central area during the same period, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Exports from the western region jumped 36.7 percent year-on-year from January to April, compared with a national 17.4 percent export growth in the same period.

"We came to Chengdu as early as 2000, and it is the most successful decision we have made," said Bruno Lafont, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Lafarge SA.

"We appreciate the local government's work in simplifying procedures as well as their supportive policies."

A direct rail route linking the inland Chinese metropolis to the central Polish city of Lodz was opened earlier this year, becoming the fastest rail freight route between China and Europe.

Ge said the new route was also more competitively priced than equivalent sea rates.

"When we invite multinational companies into the city, we focus on their connections with local small- and medium-sized enterprises, how they might boost the development of new technical products, and how they might fit into local industrial and supply chains," Ge added.

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