China Regional Focus: Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

May 2, 2014 Posted by China Briefing Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Rainy Yao

Suzhou: Venice of the East

Suzhou is a major city in the southeast of Jiangsu Province, Eastern China and part of the Yangtze River Delta. Considered one of the richest major cities in China, Suzhou is known as the “Venice of the East.” In this article, Rainy Yao from Dezan Shira & Associates takes a look at this picturesque city filled with opportunities for foreign investment.

Economic Overview

Suzhou is one of China’s foremost destinations for foreign investment due to its proximity to Shanghai and comparatively low operating costs. Major industries include iron and steel, IT and electronic equipment manufacturing, and textile products. Suzhou is the second largest industrial city in China after Shanghai and is home to 27 listed companies.

In 2013, Suzhou’s GDP exceeded RMB 1.3 trillion, an annual increase of 9.6 percent. Its primary industry contributed RMB 21.4 billion (a 3 percent increase) and its secondary industry RMB 685 billion (a 7.5 percent increase). The service industry contributed RMB 594 billion (a 10.7 percent increase)—accounting for 45.7 percent of the city’s GDP.

Meanwhile, the city’s gross industrial output reached RMB 3.57 trillion (a 3.4 percent increase). Suzhou’s emerging industries in the manufacturing sector contributed RMB 1.37 trillion (6.7 percent growth)—accounting for 45.2 percent of above-scale industries.

Suzhou’s tourism industry also made a large contribution to the service sector, bringing in a total income of RMB 152 billion (11.9 percent growth) for the city. Nearly two million foreign tourists visited the city in the last year alone.

Development Zones

Suzhou’s main development zones include:

Suzhou Industrial Park

The Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), a joint project between the Chinese and Singaporean governments, was established in 1994. It is located beside the beautiful Jinji Lake, which lies to the east of Suzhou’s Old City. The SIP covers a total area of 288 km², among which an 80 km² area is designated the China-Singapore Cooperative Zone.

Suzhou Wuzhong Economic Development Zone

Established in 1993, the Suzhou Wuzhong Economic Development Zone (SWEDZ) ranks among the top ten economic development zones in Jiangsu Province. Currently, the Zone hosts some six-thousand domestic and foreign invested enterprises, featuring industrial clusters in precision machinery manufacturing, electronics and IT, bio-medicine, and new energy & new materials.

Suzhou National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

This Zone was established in 1990 and is now popularly known as the Suzhou New District (SND). In November 1992, the Zone was upgraded to the status of a national-level hi-tech industrial zone. Major industries in the District include information technology, electronics, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and auto parts.

Xiangcheng District

Established in 2012, the Xiangcheng District covers an area of approximately 50 km², with the Caohu Industrial Park at its center. The District is located in northern Suzhou and borders the SIP to the southeast and the SND to the southwest. Industry is mainly concentrated in precision machinery, auto parts, energy saving and green technology.

Suzhou Industrial Park Export Processing Zone

The Suzhou Industrial Park Export Processing Zone, located inside the SIP, was approved by the government in April 2000, with a planned area of 2.9 km².

Investment Guidance

In order to promote the economic transformation and development of Suzhou, the municipal government offers various preferential policies to foreign investor (including tax incentives and financial support), and especially encourages foreign investment in the manufacturing and service sectors. Below are some key industries in which foreign investment is encouraged:

Manufacturing Sector

Modern Biological and Pharmaceutical Industry
New Materials
Electronic and Telecommunications Manufacturing
Automobile Manufacturing
Ship Manufacturing
Petrochemical and Fine Chemical Manufacturing
Fine Steel Manufacturing

Service Sector

Banking
Logistics
Wholesale and Retail Trade
Scientific Research and Comprehensive Technology Services
Real Estate
Tourism
Information and Consulting
Outsourcing

Preferential Tax Policy

A limited partnership venture capital enterprise (VC Enterprise) established in the SIP in accordance with relevant laws and engaged solely in capital investment is entitled to preferential tax policies if it has invested in an unlisted small or medium-sized high-tech enterprise by way of equity investment for two years (24 months) within the pilot period.

Seventy percent of the total investment by the partners of the VC Enterprise may be deducted from the taxable income distributed by the VC Enterprise. If a legal partner has invested in several qualified enterprises in the SIP, the deductible investment and taxable incomes may be calculated on a consolidated basis.

Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com.

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