Co-designated Western Financial Center with Chengdu. China's only interior direct-controlled municipality. Focuses on cross-border financial services oriented toward Southeast Asia, green finance, inland-port finance, and Belt and Road connectivity.
Chongqing is jointly designated with Chengdu as the core of the Western Financial Center. China's only interior direct-controlled municipality, Chongqing has emphasized cross-border financial services oriented toward Southeast Asia, green finance partnerships with the City of London, and the development of inland-port and supply-chain finance. The principal financial district is the Jiangbeizui Central Business District in Liangjiang New Area.
Within the twin-city framework established by the 2021 "Six Systems and One Foundation" plan, Chongqing's specialization in cross-border services and supply-chain finance complements Chengdu's focus on domestic fintech and consumer finance. The Chongqing Free Trade Zone supports cross-border transactions, and the city maintains active financial cooperation links with Southeast Asian markets.
The Western Financial Center initiative positions Chongqing as a strategic bridge between China's coastal financial centers and the western regions targeted by the Belt and Road Initiative. Chongqing's role as an inland port city—connected to both the Yangtze River system and overland rail links westward—gives its financial functions a distinctive logistics and trade-finance orientation.
Yangtze River Delta
China's comprehensive international financial center. Home to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, major commodity futures markets, the STAR Market, and the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Consistently ranked in the global top ten.
Jing-Jin-Ji
China's political and regulatory center, hosting the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, major financial regulators, principal state-owned banks, and the Beijing Financial Street. Home to the Beijing Stock Exchange (2021).
Greater Bay Area
A top-tier hub for capital markets, venture capital, and fintech. Home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SME Board, ChiNext), Ping An Group, China Merchants Bank, and the Qianhai Shenzhen–Hong Kong Cooperation Zone. GBA mainland anchor.