1. Agriculture

In 2024, Changchun continued to uphold national food security as a top priority. Guided by high-quality development and the strategic principles of 'storing grain in the land with technology,' the city achieved steady progress in agricultural production. Total agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery added value reached 52.645 billion RMB, a 4.5% increase from the previous year.

2. Industry

In 2024, Changchun’s industrial economy remained resilient despite complex domestic and international challenges. Total industrial added value reached 221.141 billion RMB, marking a 4.3% year-on-year increase and providing solid momentum for the city’s high-quality development.

As a traditional industrial base, Changchun has a complete industrial system, covering automotive manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, chemical new materials, electronic information, and more, forming a diversified and comprehensive industrial structure.

3. Commerce and Exhibition Economy

Changchun’s exhibition industry began in the 1990s and has developed steadily over the last 30 years. The city now operates four major exhibition venues: the Northeast Asia International Expo Center, Changchun International Convention and Exhibition Center, Changchun Agricultural Expo Park, and Eurasia Shopping Mall, offering a total of 500,000 square meters of exhibition space. More than 100 major exhibition events are held annually, covering industry, agriculture, culture and tourism, education, commerce, and medical sectors.

Major Exhibition Events

• China–Northeast Asia Expo:Initiated in 2005, the China Jilin·Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo was renamed and upgraded to the China-Northeast Asia Expo with the approval of the State Council in 2012. From 2014, it shifted from an annual event to a biennial one, and by October 2025, it had successfully hosted 15 editions.

• Changchun International Optoelectronic Expo: As the only comprehensive professional exhibition in the optoelectronic information field in Northeast China, the 2025 Changchun Optoelectronics Expo attracted over 850 enterprises from home and abroad, with foreign enterprises accounting for 66.1%, demonstrating continuous improvement in its internationalization and professionalism. During the expo, the highly influential Light Conference continued to be held, and the Wang Daheng Optics Award, known as the "Oscar" of the Chinese optics community, was presented. This expo serves as an important window for showcasing the industrial strength of "Changchun Optics Valley" and promoting optoelectronic technology exchanges and achievements transformation.

• Changchun International Automobile Expo:  First held in 1999, it shifted from a biennial event to an annual one in 2010. As one of the renowned automotive industry events in China, it is known as the "barometer" of the "Automobile City". The 21st Changchun Auto Expo was successfully held in July 2024, comprehensively showcasing the latest achievements in electrification, intelligence, and connectivity in the automotive industry, with new energy vehicle models taking center stage. As a pillar industry in Changchun, the Auto Expo effectively boosted local consumption and reinforced Changchun's important position in China's automotive industry landscape.

• China Changchun Agriculture & Food Expo:  Initiated in 2000, it has been held annually (except for a postponement in 2021 due to the pandemic), with the 23rd edition taking place in August 2024. The expo concentrated on displaying modern agricultural technologies, smart agricultural equipment, and green high-quality agricultural products, and conducted multiple agricultural technology promotion and production-marketing aligning activities, providing an important platform for safeguarding national food security, promoting agricultural modernization development, and rural revitalization.

• China Changchun Film Festival: Founded in 1992, it is the first national-level film festival named after a city in New China, with the award named the Golden Deer Award. Since 2021, the festival cycle has been adjusted from biennial to annual. The 20th China Changchun Film Festival was held in August 2025. Coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the birth of Chinese cinema and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of Changchun Film Studio, the festival featured a special tribute section called "Cradle," including exhibitions of outstanding films from Changchun Film Studio and the "2025 Changchun Film Studio Night" symphony concert.

•Air Force Aviation Open Activity · Changchun Air Show: Initiated in 2011, it hosted seven editions of the Air Force Aviation Open Activity by 2018. In 2019, the first Changchun Air Show was held in conjunction with the "Aviation Open Activity Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Air Force." Since then, it has been held biennially (with postponements in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic), and is the only aviation exhibition exclusively hosted by the Air Force in China. The fourth Changchun Air Show was successfully held at the Changchun International Aviation Expo City in September 2025. This edition was the largest in scale, richest in content, and most up-to-date in experience since 2019, with a final attendance of 996,000, far exceeding the pre-event expectation of 800,000.

• Changchun Ice and Snow Festival: Initiated in 1998, it has been held annually and has reached its 28th edition. In 2024, Changchun was honored as one of the "Top 10 Ice and Snow Tourism Cities" in China, and the Changchun Ice and Snow Festival was awarded as one of the "Top 10 Ice and Snow Tourism Festivals." In 2003, it jointly hosted the Vasaloppet International Ski Festival with Sweden's Nordic Way Company, which has since become an important component of the festival and has been held for 23 editions, winning accolades such as the National Winter Sports Tourism High-Quality Event and the China Top 10 Ice and Snow Season Tourism Festival Events.

4. Industrial Transformation and Upgrading
Centered around building a modern industrial system featuring "three transformations, four strengthening, and seven new sectors," Changchun is driving the transformation of its three traditional advantageous industries—automobile, equipment manufacturing, and agricultural product processing—towards higher-end, smarter, and more clustered development. It is accelerating the large-scale development of four emerging industries: biopharmaceuticals and life health, optoelectronic information, green energy, and modern cultural tourism and exhibition industries. Additionally, it is promoting the accelerated layout of seven niche sectors, including hydrogen energy and new energy storage, aerospace and its applications, semiconductors, new materials, high-end medical equipment and innovative drugs, film and cultural creativity, and the digital economy.

5. Open Cooperation

Changchun serves as a crucial  gateway on the northern route of the "Belt and Road" initiative, specifically within the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor. It boasts several open platforms, including Changchun New Area, China-South Korea Demonstration Zone, Xinglong Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and Airport Economic Demonstration Zone. The city has been successively recognized as a national logistics hub for production services and land ports, as well as a city supported for strengthening supply chains in national comprehensive freight hubs. Changchun has established trade relations with nearly 180 countries and regions, with international freight trains such as the "Changchun-Manzhouli-Europe" and "Changchun-Hunchun-Europe" operating on a regular basis since the launch of its China-Europe freight train services in 2015.

In 2024, Changchun remained steadfast in advancing high-level opening-up and actively integrated into national strategies such as the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, achieving solid progress across multiple dimensions, including foreign trade, foreign investment, international tourism, and the construction of open platforms, thereby systematically enhancing the level and quality of its opening-up.

In terms of foreign trade, Changchun withstood global economic and trade pressures, achieving steady progress. The total annual volume of goods imports and exports reached RMB 127.506 billion, marking a 4.0% year-on-year increase and demonstrating balanced development between exports and imports. To promote sustainable foreign trade growth, Changchun actively cultivated new drivers for foreign trade by adding 132 foreign trade enterprises with actual import and export performance, thereby solidifying the foundation of market entities. Furthermore, it vigorously innovated and developed new business models, accelerating the construction of a comprehensive pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce and exploring new approaches such as "mutual trade + e-commerce" and "mutual trade + tourism," injecting fresh vitality into traditional trade.

In terms of foreign investment utilization, Changchun demonstrated strong international appeal. The actual amount of foreign investment utilized throughout the year reached USD 345 million, maintaining a stable growth rate of 3.5%. This was attributed to Changchun's continuous efforts to build the "Invest in Jilin" brand, continuously improve foreign investment promotion and service mechanisms, and create a stable, transparent, and predictable business environment for foreign-invested enterprises to invest and operate in the city.

International tourism and cultural exchanges have become shining examples of Changchun's opening-up. The city welcomed a total of over 172 million domestic and international tourists throughout the year, representing a 17% year-on-year increase. Notably, the inbound tourist market showed strong recovery momentum, with 202,400 inbound tourists, a significant 25.2% increase. Total tourist spending reached RMB 302.61 billion, up by 25.5%, while tourism foreign exchange earnings amounted to USD 70.781 million, a 24.9% increase. The thriving exhibition and tourism industry has effectively enhanced Changchun's international visibility and urban influence.