Cities
There’s no such thing as a “typical Chinese city” – each locale in China is unique, with its own dialect, industrial capabilities, state of infrastructure, human resource profile, etc. It’s important to learn as much as you can about the location you will be doing business in. Here’s a good place to start.
For Importers (to the U.S.): The Chinese produce a lot of goods that are exported to U.S. and European markets, but not all Chinese cities have the same technological expertise. The following city descriptions should give you a good idea of where to start looking. Remember that SEZ (Special Economic Zones) provide corporations with incentives, so see if the city you are interested in has any incentives for trade.
For Exporters (to China): Though the bulk of China’s middle- and upper class citizens live on the coastal region, consumerism has proliferated throughout the country.
For Services (in China): China’s service sector lacks the sophistication that U.S. businesses are used to.
Trade Fairs
There are a lot of organizations tracking trade fairs in China. For a fairly comprehensive look at trade shows in China, including Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Langfang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shaoxing, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shunde, Suzhou, Taizhou, Tianjin, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi’an, Yiwu, Zhenjiang, Zhongshan and Zhuhai and to search by industries, see BizTrade Shows China website.
China Economic Review also keeps a list of events in Beijing, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
About China Fair has an extensive list of cities and industries to search for fairs.
Event’s Eye also has an online list of upcoming fairs covering the larger coastal cities.
Alibaba keeps an online list as well.
Maps
For those interested in disposable income and household expenditure, China Strategic Development Partners LLC created a map showing the areas with greatest potential for sales in China. See http://www.chinasdp.com/Resources/China_Target_Market.pdf. This firm puts out weekly maps on China, ranging from industry topics to demographic information. See www.allroadsleadtochina.com/index.php/maps-of-china/.