Chongqing – The New Frontier for Foreign Investment in Southwest China Chongqing – The New Frontier for Foreign Investment in Southwest China We take a look at the factors that make Chongqing an attractive investment destination for foreign firms in Southwest China. In a year where China overtook the United States as the main destination for foreign investment, the diversification of that investment within China has been dynamic and cities that were once not the primary target are now on the radar of international companies. I speak of Chengdu and Chongqing, the two largest and richest cities in western China. Chongqing is an independent municipality under the central government administration and Chengdu is the capital of the province of Sichuan. Both cities feature in the top 10 of richest cities in all of China; Chongqing is ranked fifth and Chengdu seventh.