Development of electronics manufacturing bases in China's central and western regions

China has been the world's largest manufacturing center for the electronics industry for many years. The recently published 12th Five Year Plan clearly states the government's intention to expand domestic markets and reform the country's existing industrial structure away from its manufacturing-heavy, service-light model, and its focus on eastern regions and consequent neglect of the central and western region. As transport infrastructure has gradually been put in place, central government policy has already succeeded in making the central and western region the most important manufacturing sites for the coming decade. The electronics industry has by no means been excluded from this trend, with some major notebook manufacturers already sourcing a significant proportion of their shipments from Chongqing and Chengdu, the major cities in the central and western region. Moreover, the pace of development in these areas will only increase as time goes by.

In addition to taking over manufacturing hubs relocating from the east coast, the 12th Five Year Plan also gives plenty of scope for central and western regions to play an important role in new strategic industries. The value of these industries, combined with the benefits for the regional economy brought about by industrial and economic development, will mean that central and western regions can claim three of China's ten core cities for the electronics industry within the next decade.