Guangdong province is seeking to double its gross domestic product (GDP) from 2022 levels to around 25.8 trillion yuan (US$3.75 trillion) over the next ten years. That target was announced yesterday by Huang Kunming, the Chinese Communist Party secretary of Guangdong, who was speaking at the 2026 Guangdong Provincial High-Quality Development Conference in Guangzhou.
In an address cited by various media outlets, Huang said the region was also looking to double its per capita GDP from 2020 levels, with the aim of reaching the same rate as “moderately developed” nations. According to official sources, Guangdong’s per capita GDP in 2020 totalled 132,547 yuan (US$19,253).
Another goal over the next decade is the development of Guangdong into a “vibrant and prosperous” province. To this end, Huang said the government would employ the three driving forces of reform, opening up and innovation. At the same time, the party secretary mentioned the development of a “world-class Greater Bay Area” (GBA), as well as a Guangdong characterised by an influx of talent and businesses, as well as flourishing industries.
He added that the provincial administration would promote reform in Guangdong’s counties and secure coordinated development in the region’s urban and rural areas.
Mention was also made of the “Millions of Talents Gather in Guangdong,” an ongoing initiative that is aimed at attracting young professionals to the region. According to Huang, the measure facilitated work and entrepreneurship in Guangdong among more than 1.1 million tertiary graduates last year. This year, the authorities are hoping the initiative can hit a target of 1 million or more tertiary students.
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During yesterday’s conference, the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission meanwhile unveiled a white paper on the integration between Guangdong’s manufacturing and service sectors.
Consisting of five sections, the document outlines Guangdong’s efforts to promote coordinated development in these two areas, as well as their outlook. The report discussed the enormous scope of the province’s manufacturing and service sectors, with the former representing roughly one-third of the regional GDP and the latter accounting for roughly 60 percent of the region’s economic output.
“Promoting the synergistic development of manufacturing and services is the only way to follow the laws of industrial evolution and achieve industrial achievement,” Huang was cited as saying. “As a major manufacturing and service province, Guangdong must seize this trend.”
To carry out integration, the authorities are planning to adopt various measures such as using AI and other technological innovation.
Various international business representatives also spoke at the conference, with some of them praising Guangdong’s business environment and potential. John Lenhart, the global vice president of Walmart, noted that investment and influence in the GBA is continuing to increase, with his firm looking to broaden its presence in the region and beyond.
Similarly, Hu Jianjun, the vice president of Siemens (China) was cited as stating that Guangdong “is becoming an irreplaceable investment destination in the eyes of multinational companies.”
