Chongqing重庆
Tier 1 - MegacityChina's largest municipality by area and a major inland manufacturing powerhouse. Chongqing reclaimed the #1 national position in automotive production in 2025 (2.788 million vehicles), driven by the Changan-Seres-Huawei NEV ecosystem. Home to Liangjiang New Area — China's first inland national new area — and a strategic gateway connecting the Yangtze River Economic Belt with the Belt and Road Initiative.
GDP
$450B
2024
Population
32.13M
residents
GDP per Capita
$14K
near national avg
Industry Output
¥248B
1 frontier sectors
History & Context
Chongqing's industrial identity traces to the wartime relocation of factories from eastern China in the 1930s-40s, followed by "Third Front" defense industrialization in the 1960s-70s. The city became a direct-administered municipality in 1997 and launched Liangjiang New Area in 2010 as China's first inland national new area. Traditional automotive manufacturing — led by Changan and a network of motorcycle-turned-car companies — provided the industrial base. The NEV revolution transformed this legacy: Seres' partnership with Huawei created the AITO brand (1 millionth vehicle in 46 months), while Changan invested heavily in Avatr, Deepal, and Qiyuan brands. The "four-direction" logistics network — Yangtze shipping east, China-Europe Railway Express west, New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor south, and air freight globally — solved the inland connectivity challenge. By 2025, Chongqing reclaimed #1 national auto production, with NEV output growing 88% year-over-year.
Industrial Development Timeline
Direct-administered municipality
Chongqing becomes China's fourth direct-administered municipality, gaining provincial-level economic authority.
Liangjiang New Area
China's first inland national new area approved by State Council, modeled on Pudong and Binhai.
Seres-Huawei partnership
Seres and Huawei begin collaboration on intelligent automotive solutions, leading to the AITO brand.
AITO M5 launch
First AITO vehicle delivered; Seres-Huawei partnership begins scaling production rapidly.
NEV output surges 88%
Liangjiang produces 553,600 NEVs (+88%); total vehicle output reaches 1.25 million in the zone alone.
#1 auto production nationally
Chongqing produces 2.788 million vehicles, reclaiming #1 national position. Seres hits 1 millionth vehicle.
Key Facts
#1 nationally in automotive production (2.788 million vehicles in 2025)
Seres-Huawei AITO brand produced 1 millionth vehicle in just 46 months
Changan Automobile produced its 30 millionth Chinese-brand vehicle (Dec 2025)
Liangjiang New Area GDP exceeds ¥500B
generates 58% of city's NEV output
Guoyuan Port
China's largest inland port with "four-direction" logistics connectivity
CATL "plant-in-plant" model at Seres Super Factory
20-minute supply response time
Industrial Parks & Zones
Major development zones and high-tech parks in Chongqing
Major Companies
Central SOE automotive conglomerate. 30 millionth Chinese-brand vehicle produced Dec 2025. 2.683M vehicles sold in 2024; 734K NEVs (+52.8%). Owns Avatr, Deepal, Qiyuan brands. First L3 autonomous driving license in China.
Founded 1862
Seres Group
赛力斯集团
Private automaker partnered with Huawei. AITO brand hit 1 millionth vehicle in 46 months. M9 dominates ¥500K+ luxury segment. 3,000+ robots, 100% welding/painting automation. CATL plant-in-plant integration.
Founded 1986