Guangdong remains at forefront of opening-up

Guangdong will further deepen reform and opening-up, expand domestic and international engagement, and seize opportunities from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to accelerate the building of a dynamic, internationally competitive, first-class bay area and world-class urban cluster, deputies to the National People's Congress said.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, Guangdong will advance comprehensive socioeconomic development and forge a new model for Chinese modernization, NPC deputies from the province said during a group deliberation on Friday.

In recent years, Guangdong has pursued a dual-strength strategy to promote industrial and technological advancement while accelerating the development of new productive forces to drive economic growth to new heights, said Huang Kunming, Party secretary of Guangdong province and a deputy to the 14th NPC.

R&D intensity in Guangdong has reached 3.6 percent across all sectors, fostering multiple trillion-yuan industrial clusters, while the core artificial intelligence industry has grown to 300 billion yuan ($43.5 billion) in recent years, Huang said.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), the province will promote deeper integration between technological and industrial innovation and foster coordinated development between manufacturing and services, striving to cultivate more trillion — and multi-trillion-yuan industrial clusters in emerging fields such as 6G, the low-altitude economy, embodied intelligence and quantum technology, he said.

Building on the successful joint hosting of the 15th National Games and the National Paralympic and Special Olympic Games with Hong Kong and Macao last year, Guangdong will further strengthen cooperation among the three regions to accelerate development of a dynamic, internationally competitive world-class bay area and global urban cluster, Huang said.

"Through years of close collaboration between Guangdong and Macao, both tangible and intangible conditions have steadily matured," he said. "With abundant advantages, ample opportunities and vast potential, Guangdong will vigorously advance development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin."

Guangdong is home to the country's largest population, highest economic output, greatest number of market entities and the widest range of application scenarios, said Guangdong governor Meng Fanli, also a deputy to the 14th NPC.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, Guangdong will prioritize high-quality development of its service sector to drive industrial and economic growth while supporting the advancement of manufacturing, Meng said, adding that the province will accelerate large-scale growth of the service industry.

Guangdong will also advance its international development, leveraging opportunities from the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be hosted in Shenzhen in November to further open its service sector and promote the growth, upgrading and strengthening of service trade, Meng said.

Shenzhen mayor Qin Weizhong, also a 14th NPC deputy, said the city is accelerating its development into a globally influential economic center and modern international metropolis.

Shenzhen will upgrade its international infrastructure and capabilities, broaden global partnerships, and strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, new energy and green transformation, offering the "Shenzhen Solution" to promote shared prosperity across the Asia-Pacific, Qin said.

"The APEC meeting will provide powerful momentum for Shenzhen to deepen reform and opening-up and advance innovation-driven development," he said. "It will strengthen the city's global presence, enhance its competitiveness and innovation capacity, and accelerate its emergence as a world-class city."