Changshu(Chinese:常熟;pinyin:Chángshú;Wade-Giles:Ch'ang-shu;lit."aplaceofalltimeharvest")isacounty-levelcityunderthejurisdictionofSuzhou,andislocatedinthesouth-easternpartofeastern-China’sJiangsuProvinceaswellastheYangtzeRiverDelta.Duetothemildclimateandterrainthere,ithasenjoyedahighlevelofagriculturecivilizationsinceancienttimes,andisnamedafterthis,forinChineseChang(常)means“always,often”andShu(熟)hasthemeaningof“cropharvest”.Notsurprisingly,thereisatownnearbycalledTaicangwhichmeans“GreatestGranary”.

　　Changshucomprises12townsandtwoprovincialeconomyandtechnologydevelopmentdistricts.Asahistoricallyandculturallyfamouscity,Changshuisknownforitslonghistory,beautifulsceneryandprosperity.ItisoneofthemostwelldevelopedcountiesinChina:itsGDPreached97.2billionyuanin2007,andGDPpercapitareached91,846yuan(ca.US$12,000),rankingamongthetop10countieswithinChina.

　　Changsuhasexperiencedeconomicgrowthof15–20percentforthelast20years.In2007,ChangshuhadaGDPofRMB97.6billion,anincreaseof18percentfrom2006.Ofthis,only1.8percentcomesfromtheprimaryindustry,whereas59.18percentisderivedfromthesecondaryindustryandthetertiaryindustrymakesuptheremaining39percent.[2]

　　Thecity’smajorindustriesincludetextiles,paper-making,finechemicals,machinery,steelandforestryproducts.Thecityhasmorethan4,000textileandapparelcompanieswithcombinedannualsalesofRMB50billion.Thepaper-makingindustryhasattractedmoretheUS$15billionofFDI.Bytheendof2007,thisindustryexceeded2.4milliontons.[3]

　　Morethan2,000foreignenterpriseshaveinvestedinChangshuincludingbignamessuchasSharpandDunlop.Ofthecontractedinvestmentatleastone-thirdhascomefromTaiwan–morethan500TaiwanenterpriseshaveinvestedmorethanUS$100millioninthecity.UMP-KymmenefromFinlandhasbeenrunningapapermillinthecitysince1999andnowhasanannualcapacityof200,000tonsofcoatedand600,000tonsofuncoatedfinepaper.Changshu’simportandexportratehasalsoincreasedinrecentyearswithimportsgoingupby88.4percenttoUS$3.89billionandexportsrising60.4percenttoUS$6.74billionin2007

　　Changshufirstbecameanindependentcountyin540AD,butin581wasmadesubordinatetoSuzhou.Itwaspromotedtoseatofafullprefecturein1295,wasrebuiltandfortifiedinthe1300s,butin1370wasreducedagaintothelevelofacounty.Inthe15thand16thcenturiesChangshuwasseveraltimesattackedbyJapanesepirates.

　　Changshuhastraditionallybeenamarkettownforlocally-producedrice,corn,wheat,tea,andmulberryleaves,andsincethe13thcenturyhasbeenamajorcotton-producingdistrict.AlthoughadministrativelystillasubordinatecitytoSuzhou,itisaprovincialbaseofforeigntrade.CurrentlyaharbourisbeingdevelopedontheYangtzeRivernearChangshutoserviceSuzhouandWuxi.