Guangzhou is accelerating the development of economic and business zones to support the city's next round of economic development.

Zones highlighted in the city's strategic development plan include China-Singapore (Guangzhou) Knowledge City, Tianhe CBD and Intelligence Town, Guangzhou South Railway Station Business District, Nansha New District, the airport economic zone and Guangzhou International Healthcare Industry Town.

The planned 123-square-kilometer Knowledge City, in the east of the city in the Guangzhou Development District, is expected to become a vanguard for high-end industrial development and the knowledge economy.

Some 10 sq km will be developed by 2015 in the initial stage and be home to R&D services, creative industries, life and health sciences, education and training, information technology, biotechnology, new energy and environmental protection as well as advanced manufacturing.

The 18-sq-km Tianhe CBD in the city itself - one of the nation's top three central business districts - will contain a key area of 5.37 sq km in the next five years, according to the city's blueprint, providing a base for financial institutions, high-end business services, real estate developers and corporate headquarters.

The Guangzhou CBD has more than 1,200 foreign-funded enterprises, including over 200 with headquarters operations, and 76 projects funded by the world's top 500 enterprises.

With a planned area of 63 sq km, Tianhe Intelligence Town is expected to be a cluster for high-end electronics and information technology, software and information services, new-generation information technology businesses and scientific and technological services.

Covering 36 sq km and requiring an investment of 49.9 billion yuan, Guangzhou South Railway Station Business District is expected to grow into a comprehensive passenger transportation hub in South China and a center of modern service industries, commerce and trade.

Located at the center of the Pearl River Delta region, the Nansha New District will include harbor manufacturing industries, cultural and creative industries, modern shipping services, tourism and health services.

According to the nation's 12th Five-Year Plan, Nansha New District is expected to become a business service center for both the mainland and Hong Kong as well as a pilot zone in the CEPA (closer economic partnership arrangement) with Hong Kong and Macao.

The airport economic zone around Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport includes the 390-sq-km core airport zone and an economic zone covering 2,600 sq km.

In addition to the aviation industry and logistics, it will be home to aviation-related business headquarters, services, high-tech industries and advanced manufacturing.

With a planned area of 124 sq km, Guangzhou International Healthcare Industry Town close to Maofeng Mountain will include the biomedicine, medical apparatus, medical service and healthcare industries.

(China Daily 11/02/2011 page15)