Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province and a sub-provincial city. Chengdu is also one of the most important economic centers, transportation and communication hubs in Western China. According to the 2007 Public Appraisal for Best Chinese Cities for Investment, Chengdu was chosen as one of the top ten cities to invest in out of a total of 280 urban centers in China. Chengdu has also long been established as a national base for the electronic and IT industry. In fact, many high-tech enterprises from outside Chengdu are also beginning to settle down in the area with Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone attracting a variety of multinationals. The Chengdu Statistics Bureau reports that its total investment in fixed assets in 2008 was 301.29 billion Yuan (US$43.38 billion). Domestic investment was 180.52 billion Yuan (US$26 billion), an increase of 23.5 percent from 2007. The total amount of foreign direct investment reached US$2.25 billion, an increase of 97.3 percent