This year, Changsha held a series of global events including the 2019 Changsha International Construction Equipment Exhibition in May, a gathering of the world's leading construction machinery companies and the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in June attended by 53 African countries and more than 10 international institutes.

A total of 81 cooperative agreements were signed during the trade expo and the total business volume amounted to more than $20 billion.

Changsha, capital of Hunan province, has established direct high-speed trains linking to Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai as well as 12 provincial capitals since 2009 when the Wuhan-Guangzhou line began operation along the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway.

The Changsha Economic and Technological Development Zone ranks No 8 for its business environment among national-level economic and development zones in China, according to a report by a Chinese research center.

Changsha ranks second for soft power and ninth for business environment among 35 cities across the nation, according to a report by the Academy of Greater Bay Area Studies. (chinadaily.com.cn)