ABSTRACT
Due to its location on the Grand Canal and in proximity to nationally famous Lake Tai, Suzhou rose to prominence earlier than Shanghai, eighty kilometers to its east. A historically wealthy rice growing center within the Yangtze delta, Suzhou's history reaches back to 514 B.C. (Xu, 2000). A major railroad and express highway now connect the two cities. This link is navigable in less than two hours from the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (CSSIP) on the old city's east side to Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport on the metropolis' western side (Figure 7.1). Through Shanghai, goods shipped to and from Suzhou have easy access to major shipping and processing centers in Shanghai's ports (though some businesses complain that Shanghai loyalists tend to process their hometown's goods quicker than those from neighboring cities).
