Guangzhou: The South Gate to the World
A Brief Introduction
Guangzhou, often known as Canton is the capital of Guangdong Province, a national historical and cultural city, a national central city, an international business center and an integrated transport hub. As the south gate of China, it is located in the geometric center of Asian-Pacific area, adjacent to the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Macao. With a total area of 7,434 km2, it has a population of over 16 million. For more than 2,000 years, Guangzhou, known as the Millennial Commerce Capital, has always been China’s important trading port and the origin of ancient Maritime Silk Road.
Guangzhou Economy
With over 40 years of reform and opening-up, Guangzhou relies on openness to promote development and innovation, and has become an important transport hub, logistics center and trade center in South China. As a core area for attracting international capital, Guangzhou has been transforming from Millennial Commerce Capital to Modern Commerce Capital. In 2016, the GDP of Guangzhou stood at 1.96 trillion Yuan, with the retail sales of consumer goods reaching 0.87 trillion Yuan and the foreign trade volume reaching 0.85 trillion Yuan. Guangzhou’s actual use of foreign capital reached 5.7 billion US dollars and overseas investment reached 5.28 billion US dollars. Guangzhou has formed an all-round, wide-ranging and multi-level opening-up pattern and become one of the most open and marketized regions.
Harboring 36 out of 39 industrial categories, Guangzhou is the city with the most complete and developed manufacturing industry in southern China. In particular, automobile industry, petrochemical, electronic information and bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing have become four pillar industries in Guangzhou. Any industry manufacturers may find suppliers offering matching products available within the Pearl River Delta with Guangzhou as its center.
There are two national development zones, namely Guangzhou Development District and Nansha Development Zone. The former consists of Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Guangzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Guangzhou Free Trade Zone and Guangzhou Export Processing Zone, while the latter, Nansha Development Zone is expected to build into a modern industrial base combining logistics industry, port industry and high-tech industry.
Shenzhen: A Frontier of Reform and Opening-up
A Brief Introduction
Shenzhen is a coastal city in South China, adjoining Hong Kong. The total area of Shenzhen is 1,997.47 km2. Shenzhen has more than 310 rivers and streams, which are associated with the nine hydrographic systems. Shenzhen has a vast sea area, covering 1,145 km2 and boasting 261 km of coastline.
Shenzhen has a subtropical monsoon climate. The weather is generally temperate to mild, with plenty of rain and sunshine. The annual average temperature is 22.4.
Shenzhen is the only city in Guangdong where Mandarin is the dominant language, because of its huge migrant population from all over China. Many public service employees, professionals and business people speak English too. Most of the young people speak English and Cantonese.
As South China’s technological powerhouse, the city has one of the most favorable business environments in China. With a large number of high-tech companies, it has great innovative capability. Neighboring Hong Kong, Shenzhen is home to a number of startups and tech heavyweights including Huawei and Tencent.
In 2018, Shenzhen’s GDP rose about 7.5% year-on-year to surpass 2.4 trillion yuan ($354 billion). Shenzhen, one-third the size of Shanghai and one eighth that of Beijing, has come a long way from a small hamlet of fishermen to a hub for innovation-driven industries. The transformation of this metropolis is attributed to the country’s reform and opening-up, followed by a flow of talent, enduring struggle and hard work.
The spirit of Shenzhen has helped drive the Chinese economy forward. As the forerunner of China’s special economic zone experiment, Shenzhen has become a cradle for private economic growth and aims to become a world technology innovation center. Shenzhen is a successful model for China’s economic development.
China today continues deepening reforms and readjusting the industrial structure. So is Shenzhen. In a bid to promote the efficient flow of capital, resources, talent and information between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, Shenzhen is trying to coordinate transport and planning in the two special administrative regions located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
As a highly open and vibrant region in China, the bay area accounts for less than 5% of the country’s total population but contributes around 12% of the national GDP.
The outline development plan, with goals covering the period from now to 2022 and extending to 2035, says the bay area will also become a globally influential international innovation and technology hub, an important support pillar for the Belt and Road Initiative, a showcase for in-depth cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, and a quality living circle for living, working and traveling.
Analysts believe the bay area will play a more active role in further expanding the forefront of the country’s opening-up and generating fresh momentum for high-quality development.
