The five provinces in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River (Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Jiangxi and Anhui) are home to about one quarter of China's population. Wuhan, located in the middle of China - about 1,200 kms. from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an and Hong Kong - is the provincial capital of Hubei Province and a focal point for political, economic, scientific and cultural affairs for central China. The Yangtze River and the Han River join here and separate the downtown area into three parts, namely, Wuchang, Hangkou and Hangyang.

The city, population 7.3 million, covers an area of 8,467 sq. kms. with a built-up area of 202 sq. kms. Nine urban districts, 2 suburban areas and 2 counties fall within Wuhan's administrative jurisdiction.

Wuhan City is also a commercial centre for central China. Apart from supplying its own local market, it is also the distribution centre for Hubei province and several neighbouring provinces. The Hanzheng Street market is one of the biggest wholesale markets in China.

The Economic Cooperation Zone (along the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River) was established in 1987 and based in Wuhan. The zone includes a number of towns and cities of the five central provinces and it features high-tech and new-tech industrial areas. Other priority development sector for the Zone includes the automobile industry, iron and steel, petrochemical products and building materials.

As one of the six central cities in China, Wuhan City is committed to developing itself into a centre for economy, trade, finance, transportation, information, science and education in central China and building itself into a modern and multi-functional cosmopolitan city.

At the eighth Wuhan Municipal Party Congress, the decision was made to build Wuhan into a commercial and financial city, an automobile city, a science and technology city and an iron and steel city with three zones, namely, Donghu New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan Economic Technology Development Zone and Yangluo Economic Development Zone.

Infrastructure
Wuhan is China's biggest inland rail transport hub, telecommunications and information centre. Thanks to its advanced water and land transport network, it exerts an influence over the whole country. China’s two transportation arteries –the Yangtze River that goes from west to east and the Jing-Guang Railway, from north (Beijing) to south (Guangzhou) meet here. In addition, the Hu-Yu Railway (from Chongqing to Shanghai), the Wu-Xun Railway, the Han-Dan Railway, the Wu-Da Railway and the Jing-Jiu Railway all meet at Wuhan, forming a hub with spokes leading to North China, Southwest China, Mid-South China and East China. There are express trains leaving Hangkou and Wuchang for 21 big and medium-size cities in the country - over a rail network covering 2,705 kms.

Four mainline national highways: No.106 (Beijing-Lankao-Huanggang-Guangzhou - 2497 kms.), No.107 (Beijing-Zhengzhou-Wuhan-Guangzhou-Shenzhen - 2,599 kms.), No.316 (Fuzhou-Nanchang-Wuhan-Lanzhou - 2,616 kms.) and No.318 (Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu-Lasha-Nielamu - 5,447 kms.) and more than 50 provincial and county highways all intersect in or close to Wuhan.

With 615 docking berths, Wuhan Port is one of the biggest passenger and cargo ports along the Yangtze River. Passenger traffic at Wuhan Port ranks first among all inland river ports in the Yangtze Basin and its cargo traffic ranks third in volume, behind Shanghai and Nanjing. All-year round, 5,000 tons vessels can use the port while 10,000 ton vessels can berth alongside during the wet season. Shipping routes more than 14 countries and regions, including Russia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao have been opened.

Wuhan Tianhe Airport is an approved international airport open to B747 aircraft and the fourth busiest airport for cargo in China. Direct flights are available to 57 domestic destinations as well as to Hong Kong, Macao, and Fukuoka (Japan).

Industry
Wuhan's comprehensive