Ningbo Economic and Technological Development Zone (hereinafter referred to as NETDZ) was established in October 1984 with the approval from Chinese Central Government. Covering an area of 29.6 square kilometers, NETDZ is one of the earliest and biggest state-level development zones in China, and ranks among the top five in the comprehensive assessment of the state-level development zones countrywide.

NETDZ lies in the northeastern part of Ningbo, with Beilun Port at its back and is about 27 kilometers from Ningbo downtown. After nearly two decades¡¯ hard efforts, the general framework for large-scale development and construction has come into shape, a virtuous cycle of soft and hard investment environment has been formed and NETDZ has attracted investment from nearly 40 countries and regions. Some world-renowned multinational companies, such as Esso, Samsonite, Dow Chemistry and Dupont from the United States, British Petroleum, Hoechst, Mannesmann and Esselte from Europe, Itochu, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Kanematsu, Marubeni and Sumitomo from Japan, Samsung from Korea, APP from Indonesia as well as Chia Tai Group from Thailand have made big investment in NETDZ. A modern and portside macro industry system, including industry groups like electric power, chemical engineering, stainless steel, ship building and repairing, automobile, modern paper industry, mechanical and electrical industry, textile and other light industries, cereals, oil and foodstuffs, plastics and building materials.

Up to the end of 2004, 1,047 foreign-funded enterprises had been approved in the zone with a total investment of US$13.6 billion, the contracted foreign capital reached US$7.6 billion, and the actually utilized foreign capital amounted to US$3.1 billion. There are 244 major projects with investment over US$10 million. NETDZ has become the strategic focus of the opening up of Zhejiang and Nongbo and new source of economic growth. Last year, GDP in NETDZ reached £¤16.5 billion. In 2004, the contracted foreign capital of NETDZ totaled US$1.05 billion, and the actually utilized foreign capital reached US$580 million, accounting for 14.6% and 19% respectively of the contracted and actually utilized foreign capital totaled of the 62 state-level and provincial level development zones in Zhejiang Province. NETDZ has ranked the top for six years in succession in the comprehensive assessment of development zones of Zhejiang Province at various levels, and is also one of the best five state-level development zones in the assessment carried out by the Ministry of Commerce.