Guangdong Demonstrates Openness, Confidence and Responsibility as an Economic Powerhouse

GUANGZHOU, China, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of March 6, 2025, the Guangdong Delegation to the third session of the 14th National People's Congress convened a plenary meeting, drawing 267 journalists from 107 domestic and international media organizations. During the Q&A session, reporters were invited to engage with Guangdong's leadership. Provincial Party Secretary Huang Kunming, Governor Wang Weizhong, and other delegates answered their questions, offering diverse perspectives on Guangdong's latest advancements and breakthroughs in pursuing Chinese modernization, as well as its ongoing initiatives. Huang Chuping, Director of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, presided over the event.

A plenary meeting of the Guangdong Delegation to the Third Session of the 14th National People’s Congress takes place on the afternoon of March 6, drawing 267 journalists from 107 domestic and international media organizations.

A reporter from South China Morning Post inquired: "As a leading economic province and manufacturing powerhouse, what is Guangdong's strategy for building a modern industrial system, and what key priorities will guide your next steps?"

Huang Kunming responded that Guangdong will spearhead the integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation. This will involve constructing a robust and modern industrial system, enabling the province to fulfill its responsibility as a major economic engine and lead the way in advancing Chinese modernization. He emphasized that Guangdong's continuously evolving industrial system facilitates significant advancements in productivity, solidifying its position as China's top economic province and a crucial global manufacturing hub.

He noted that Guangdong has a vast and comprehensive industrial base, encompassing all 31 major manufacturing categories and housing nine industrial clusters, each exceeding 1 trillion yuan ($138 billion) in value. Furthermore, Guangdong's strength in innovation and robust infrastructure, coupled with its specialized workforce and diverse application scenarios, ensure the rapid translation of research findings and innovative concepts into superior products and services. In 2024, Guangdong's total import and export volume reached 9 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion), further underscoring the benefits of its opening-up policy. He also highlighted the launch of the Action Plan for Attracting a Million Talents to South Guangdong, aimed at recruiting 1 million college graduates to work and start businesses within the province.

A reporter from Macao Daily News then asked, "What are Guangdong's plans and initiatives for collaborating with Hong Kong and Macao to further develop the Greater Bay Area?"

Wang Weizhong responded by highlighting the region's economic significance: despite occupying less than 1 percent of China's land and housing only 6 percent of its population, the Greater Bay Area generates one-ninth of the nation's GDP. Last year, the area's GDP reached 14.5 trillion yuan ($2 trillion), a substantial increase of 3.7 trillion yuan ($511 billion) compared to 2018, prior to the official unveiling of the development outline for the area in early 2019. He further emphasized Hengqin's crucial role as a platform for diversifying Macao's economy. From 2009 to 2024, Hengqin's GDP surged from 285 million yuan ($39 million) to 53.8 billion yuan ($7.4 billion), reflecting an impressive average annual growth rate of 27.4 percent. During the same period, the number of Macao-funded enterprises increased more than 400-fold in Hengqin. Currently, "four-new" industries (new materials, new energy, new equipment, and new medicine) account for 59.4 percent of Hengqin's industrial added value.Wang emphasized that Guangdong will support Hong Kong and Macao in deepening their integration into China's broader national development strategy.

The "Open Day" format offers delegations a valuable platform to showcase their region's economic and social progress to the world. As China's leading economic province, Guangdong naturally attracted considerable attention. By embracing transparency and demonstrating an open, confident, and responsible approach, the Guangdong delegation made a lasting positive impression on the media representatives.