By Li Zengxin (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-07-25 15:38

In the first half this year, Chengdu's production grew 14.4 percent to 144.63 billion yuan (US$18.86 billion), said Bai Gang, vice mayor of the capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan Province at a press conference.

Bai Gang (middle), vice major of Chengdu revealed economic performance data at a press conference held in the capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province on July 24. [chinadaily.com.cn]

On announcing Chengdu's economic performance to more than 50 website journalists from around the country at a meeting held on July 24, Bai also said that the fiscal revenue for the first half reached 37.66 billion yuan, up 34.8 percent from the same period last year. Local fiscal revenue was 24.14 billion yuan, 35.8 percent higher than the first half of 2006. Total export and import value hit US$4.05 billion, up 37.3 percent.

The city used foreign investment totaling US$640 million in the first six months, 62 percent more than last year, according to Bai. The actual domestic and overseas investment paid was 55.04 billion yuan, up 16.1 percent. Average income of urban residents was 7,178 yuan, up 13.6 percent and income of rural residents was 3,658 yuan per capital, 12.3 percent higher than the same period last year.

Chengdu aims to produce over 1 trillion yuan total and 82,000 yuan per capita by 2017, said an official from the Chengdu Economic Commission at the "Perfect China, Magic Sichuan" media gathering event. The provincial capital also expects fiscal income of 300 billion yuan in ten years, said the official.

Another focus for the municipal government is to increase income for rural residents and shorten the gap between the urban and rural parts. The city will try to realize a 10 percent annual growth in rural resident income and by 2017, the ratio of urban resident income to that of rural residents is expected to be two to one, the official added.