Chongqing Liangjiang New Area
重庆两江新区
Chongqing Liangjiang is China's most significant inland industrial hub and proof that advanced manufacturing can thrive far from coastal ports. Its ¥500B+ GDP, 1.25 million vehicles (58% of Chongqing total), and 553,600 NEVs (+88%) demonstrate production dominance. The Changan-Seres dual engine is particularly compelling: Changan represents successful SOE transformation (30M vehicles, L3 autonomy), while Seres-Huawei represents private-sector-tech convergence (1M vehicles in 46 months). The CATL "plant-in-plant" model — integrating battery production directly into Seres' super factory with 20-minute supply response — is a supply chain innovation being watched nationally. The "four-direction" logistics network (Guoyuan Port, China-Europe Railway Express, New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor) proves inland locations can achieve global connectivity. The 6.7% R&D intensity, 49 national Little Giants, and 500+ R&D platforms indicate innovation depth beyond pure manufacturing.
Established
2010
Spans Yubei, Jiangbei, Beibei districts; directly administers 8 sub-districts and 7 towns
Land Area
1360 km²
Chongqing
Entity Type
Innovation Zone
Municipal-level new area directly administered by Chongqing Municipality
Anchor Firms
3
profiled
Key Metrics
Full domain GDP
¥500+ billion
2024
Directly-administered zone GDP
¥291.03 billion (+7.2%)
2024
Industrial output (above scale)
¥474.18 billion (+17.2%)
2024
Vehicle output
1.25 million units (+14.4%)
2024
NEV output
553,600 units (+88.0%)
2024
Auto industry output
¥248.16 billion (+40.4%)
2024
R&D intensity
6.7%
2024
National Little Giants
49
2024
High-tech enterprises
1,140
2024
Fortune 500 companies
190+ (60% of Chongqing total)
2024
Industrial Positioning
Primary Sectors
Secondary Sectors
Strategic Role
Western China's development highland and inland open portal. Core carrier of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. Generates ~58% of Chongqing's NEV output and ~50% of city's automotive production. National demonstration for "intelligent + green" manufacturing and inland logistics innovation.
Policy Alignment
- Western development strategy
- Chengdu-Chongqing dual-city economic circle
- Yangtze River Economic Belt
- Belt and Road Initiative (China-Europe Railway, NILSTC)
Designation History
First Inland National New Area
State Council approves China's first inland national new area
FTZ Core Area
China (Chongqing) Pilot Free Trade Zone core area designated
Collaborative Innovation Zone
Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone designated national-level innovation platform
"33511" Manufacturing Strategy
Modern manufacturing cluster strategy launched targeting NEV, electronics, software
CATL Plant-in-Plant
CATL integrates directly into Seres Super Factory; 20-minute supply response
Current Designations
Anchor Companies
Changan Automobile
长安汽车
30 millionth Chinese-brand vehicle (Dec 2025); 2.683M vehicles sold (2024, +5.1%); 734K NEVs (+52.8%); owns Avatr, Deepal, Qiyuan; first L3 autonomous driving license in China
Seres Group
赛力斯集团
AITO brand: 1 millionth vehicle in 46 months; M9 dominates ¥500K+ luxury segment; 3,000+ robots, 100% automation in welding/painting; CATL "plant-in-plant" integration
CATL (Chongqing)
宁德时代（重庆）
"Plant-in-plant" at Seres Super Factory (June 2025); 20-minute order-to-line response; represents battery-vehicle vertical integration innovation
Location & Logistics
Geographic Scope
1,360 km² total; directly-administered zone is core economic area; includes Longxing (龙兴), Yuelai (悦来), Guoyuan Port (果园港), Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone.
Transport & Connectivity
Guoyuan Port — China's largest inland port; "four-direction" connectivity: east (Yangtze), west (China-Europe Railway Express), south (New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor), air (Jiangbei International Airport).
Governing Body
Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Management Committee (重庆两江新区管理委员会)
Official Website
ljxq.cq.gov.cn/Also Known As
两江新区, Liangjiang New District
Analysis
Strengths
- Massive automotive scale (1.25M vehicles, ¥248B auto output)
- SOE-private-tech convergence (Changan + Seres-Huawei + CATL)
- Inland logistics innovation (Guoyuan Port, four-direction connectivity)
- High R&D intensity (6.7%) with 500+ R&D platforms
- National new area policy flexibility
- "Plant-in-plant" supply chain innovation
Caveats & Limitations
- Inland location increases export logistics costs
- SOE-heavy structure (Changan) may reduce agility
- "Full domain" vs. "directly-administered zone" statistics can be confusing
- Competition from Chengdu within same economic circle
- Real estate decline (-21.9% investment in 2024) may affect fiscal capacity
Comparative Context
Stronger automotive scale than Wuhan but higher NEV share; more inland-constrained than coastal hubs; "plant-in-plant" model differentiates from traditional supply chain arrangements; four-direction logistics superior to single-port hubs.