Chinese History and Statistics -- Page 18

Manufacturing (Part 2)

Manufacturing is located in seven main industrial regions. The Northeastern Region, with a huge iron and steel complex located at Anshan, is China's oldest and most industrialized region. Its diversified resource base supports petroleum refining, coal mining, and iron and steel, chemical, and timber industries. The Northern Region centering on Baotou and Hohhot is a relatively new industrial region. About 90% of its industrial projects date from the First and Second Five-Year Plans. It includes the Beijing-Tianjin industrial belt, a coal-mining district producing iron and steel, machinery, chemicals, and textiles. The Eastern Region is an old industrial region centered in Shanghai.

The South Central Region has well-developed food-processing and handicraft industries. Farther north, recent industrial development has taken place. Iron and coal resources support an iron and steel complex at Wuhan as well as other industries. The Northwestern Region is the newest industrial region. Its rapidly growing industrial cities include Xi'an and Lanzhou and are supported by petroleum refining and by iron and steel, petrochemical, and cotton textile industries. The Southwestern Region is China's principal producer of nonferrous metals, and its major industrial centers are Chengdu, Kunming, and Chongqing.