Hubei is one of the important industrial bases in China. The complete and large industrial system with automobiles, metallurgy, machinery, energy, light textile, chemical engineering, building materials, etc. as the pillars have been established. In the meantime, based on the powerful strength of science and technology, and with photo-electronic information, biological technology, new medicines, and new materials as the principal part, the new and hi-tech industry has also sprung up. A large number of hi-tech enterprises and excellent products with famous brands have emerged.

As one of the important bases of automobile industry in China, the automobile industry of Hubei has been developing rapidly. Dongfeng Automobile Company is one of the largest automobile manufacturing enterprises in China. It is a modern automobile manufacturing enter- prise that was established by China's own designing, building and installing. At present, three large automobile developing and producing bases, namely, Shiyan, Xiangfan and Wuhan, have been set up. Dongfeng Automobile Company has been consecutively listed in the top ten among the nationwide 500 strong enterprises. Citroen Automobile Company Ltd, a joint venture with France, is a key project of the nation's "Eighth Five-Year Plan", which mainly produces the cars with such brands as Citroen series, Dongfeng-Citroen, and Xsara Picasso, etc.

Hubei is an important iron and steal base in China. The key enterprises include Wuhan Iron and Steel Complex, Daye Special Steel Company, E Steel Company, etc. Wuhan Iron and Steel Complex is the first mega iron and steel complex invested and built by the State after the founding of the People's Republic of China, with a comprehensive producing ability of above 8 million tons of steel and iron respectively. The steel output ranks twenty-fifth among the world's steel companies. It is an important producing base of steel slab.

Hubei is also one of the three largest ship building bases in China. Wuchang Shipyard is a key ship- building enterprise in Hubei.

Jianghan Oil Field, a large oil field in south China, and some large petrochemical complexes such as Hubei Double Ring, Wuhan Petrochemical Complex, Jingmen Petrochemical Complex, etc. are located in Hubei.

The light textile industry of Hubei sticks to the leading position of clothes. With the promotion of the coordinated production of spinning and weaving, printing and dyeing, and superior cloth, a group of Wuhan style clothes such as Mei' erya, Kangsai, Duojia, Taihe, Bingchuan, Maiya have been in the fashion.

The hi-tech industry has formed the leading industrial belt with the four main industries, namely, electronic information, biological technology, new medicines and new materials, optical-mechanical-electrical integration at the core. The famous new and hi-tech enterprises include Changfei Optical Fibre, Fenghuo Telecommunications, Huagong Laser, Anqi Yeast, Bafeng Pharmaceutics, etc. At present, the output value accomplished by the photo-electronic industry represented by the optical communication has amounted to about 70% of that of the whole province's electronic information industry. The photo-electronic industry has become an important pushing force for the economic development. "Wuhan ~ China Optical Valley" is a state-level photo-electronic industry base approved by the State Planning Commission in 2001. Wuhan East Lake new and hi-tech industry enjoys many advantages: there are 6 state engineering technology research centres, 4 key state laboratories, 19 universities, 38 scientific and research institutes, 10 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or the Chinese Academy of Engineering in the field of photo-electronic information technology. Based on the above-mentioned advantages, 5 key superior industries, namely, optical fiber, photo-electric devices, laser, communication systems, software have been established.