In addition to Xiangyang, several other cities in Hubei are included in the province's strategy to further reinforce its automobile industry.

It is working on establishing an "automobile industry corridor "running southeast to northwest and covering the cities of Wuhan, Xiaogan, Suizhou, Xiangyang and Shiyan. The aim is to make these cities an automobile production base for the whole country.

Hubei also plans to strengthen the automobile industry by introducing emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and big data. The province has a traditional advantage in convenient transportation links, giving it a competitive edge in developing various industries, including the automobile sector.

The interwoven network of air routes, railways, highways and waterways in Hubei make the province a transportation hub connecting east and west, and north and south.

Zhang said an important reason for BYD opening its battery factory in Xiangyang is that the city's location makes it easy to reach most other provinces in the country.

To seize more opportunities for growth, Hubei is aiming to become an international transportation hub.

In July last year, Huahu Airport opened in Ezhou city, Hubei. It mainly handles cargo flights, and the provincial authorities hope to make the airport an inland free-trade port.

One year on, the airport has launched cargo flights to eight overseas destinations, including Liege, Belgium; Chennai, India; Frankfurt, Germany; and Los Angeles and New York in the United States.

As of mid-July, the airport, jointly constructed by the provincial government and delivery and logistics company SF Express, had handled 203 international flights carrying more than 8,700 tons of cargo.

Yu Ke, executive vice-mayor of Ezhou, said that as part of measures to increase the airport's competitiveness, the city is inviting major cargo airlines, international logistics companies and freight forwarders to base themselves at the facility.

Yu said at a news conference in April that the local government also encourages airlines based at Huahu Airport to establish cargo bases overseas and strengthen their cooperation with major international air cargo hubs.

"In this way, we hope to create a highly efficient new Silk Road in the air to expand world trade," Yu said.