Invest in Guangdong | investinchina.chinadaily.com.cn

Invest in Guangdong

govt.chinadaily.com.cn Updated: 2019-03-22

Overview

Guangdong province is located in the southernmost part of the Chinese mainland. It borders Fujian province to the east and Jiangxi and Hunan provinces to the north. To the west is Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and to the south is the South China Sea. China's second largest river - the Pearl River - flows through Guangdong. To the east of the Pearl River Estuary is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and to the west is the Macao Special Administrative Region. 

Covering an area of 179,700 square kilometers, of which 1,448 sq km are islands, the province has 21 prefecture-level cities. By the end of 2017, the permanent resident population of Guangdong province was 112.69 million, an increase of 1.7 million over 2016. The permanent resident population in urban areas was 78.11 million, accounting for 69.85 percent of the province's total.

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Guangdong is on the frontlines of China's reform and opening-up and is one of the most attractive places for investors, with a great deal of market vigor. It also has the fastest-growing economy of any province in China, and is the most advanced in terms of business and trade.

In 2018, Guangdong's GDP reached 9.73 trillion yuan ($1.38 trillion), an increase of 6.8 percent over 2018. The added value of primary industries was 383.14 billion yuan, an increase of 4.2 percent year on year; the added value of secondary industries was 4.07 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.9 percent; and the added value of tertiary industries was 5.28 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.8 percent. The province’s imports and exports were valued at 7.16 trillion yuan in 2018, an increase of 5.1 percent over the previous year. 

Pillar Industries 

Guangdong, based on its development foundations and needs, gives full play to its developmental advantages, such as a fine industrial development base, an obvious industrial agglomeration effect, strong industrial support abilities,a favorable industrial investment environment, andthe cultivation of a new generation of information technology to promote biology, high-end equipment, new materials, green and low carbon, and digital creative pillar industries.

1. New generation of information technology 

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), Guangdong will take full advantageof 5G mobile communications and the next generation internet IPv6 to vigorously promote the development and industrialization of chips, terminals, system equipment, software,and other key 5G products and cultivate relevant information content services to make a breakthrough in the core technology of the next-generation broadband network which emphasizes optical communications. While focusing on intelligent terminals, automotive electronics, industrial control, and communication equipment, the province strives to strengthen the research and development of high-performance general and professional chips, and boost the development of the integrated circuit industry.

2. The bio-industry

Guangdong has been strengthening the technological basis for innovation and development in the biological industry, accelerating the application of new technologies such as gene testing, regenerative medicine, molecular breeding, biomaterials, and biomass energy, and speeding up the industrialization process. It aims to expand the bio-industry output up to 600 billion yuan by 2020.

3. The high-end equipment and new materials industry

Guangdong, in conforming to the development trend of a smart, green, service-oriented, and internationalized manufacturing industry, decided to build a high-end manufacturing industry system covering R&D, manufacturing, and technical services by coordinating links between R&D, manufacturing, and application, making a quick breakthrough in key technologies, materials and core components and actively promoting the industrial application of major equipment and systems. It hopes to achieve an output of one trillion in thehigh-end equipment and new material industry by 2020

4. The green and low-carbon industry

Focusing on the innovation and application of green and low-carbon technologies, Guangdong encourages green consumption, promotes green products, has significantly increased the use of new energy resources, and comprehensively promotes the construction of industrial systems focusing on efficiency, energy conservation, environmental protection, and resource recycling. It strives to achieve on output value of over 800 billion yuan in the green and low-carbon industry by 2020. 

Advantages

1. Pioneer in opening up  

Since 1978, when Guangdong took the lead in reform and opening up, the province’s economy has become the strongest in the country, and its economic scale has exceeded that of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, three of the “Four Asian Tigers”. In 2017, Guangdong’s GDP reached nine trillion yuan, an increase of 7.5 percent over 2016. Guangdong also topped the country with its excellent performance in key economic indicators such as tax revenue, fiscal revenue, total retail sales of consumer goods, industrial added value, and household savings.

2. Leading role in innovation  

Guangdong has a complete education system rich in international education resources and strong international cooperation.The province is pressing ahead with its provincial education program of developing high-level comprehensive universities, high-level science and engineering universities, and key disciplines. Local universities have absorbed 221 newly-entitled “national high-level talents”, making up 22 percent of the provincial total. There are 718 R&D and innovation platforms above city level open to the market and enterprises, 69.2 percent of total platforms in higher education institutions.

The province has further enhanced its innovation capabilities. In 2016, the proportion of Guangdong’s GDP spent on R&D was raised to 2.58 percent. The total number of patents reached 168,500, and the number of received cases for PCT international patent application was 23,600, representing an increase of 21.3 percent and 55.2 percent, respectively, which led to Guangdong being recognized as a region of innovation. There are a total of 213 national key laboratories, engineering and technology research institutes, engineering laboratories, and company technology centers located in the province.

3. Welcome destination for business  

Guangdong is the transportation hub of South China, with widely connected marine, land and air transportation networks. It has established shipping routes with 1,100 ports in over 130 countries and regions. Expressways and railways have been built to connect neighboring provinces. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the three largest aviation hubs in China, generates a strong transportation capacity and convenient services together with the other seven civil airports located in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhanjiang, Meizhou, Jieyang, and Chaoshan.

Guangdong enjoys well-developed infrastructure for air, land and sea transport and for port customs services.The province continues to reform its commercial system to fully implement the “Five-in-One License” and “One Code and One License” for companies and carry out registration reform for individually-owned businesses through the integration of two licenses.

The investment and financing system in Guangdong is also improving. The policy reform of the negative list management for market access is being tested through pilot projects. The corporation investment project list management and online filing mechanism have been put in place to encourage and expand social investment.

Besides, Guangdong attaches great importance to developing its convention and exhibition industry, with a special focus on establishing international platforms, providing professional services, and promoting trade. The China Import & Export Fair is a comprehensive international trade fair with the longest history, highest level, largest scale, most categories of goods, most visitors, and best transaction outcomes in China. In addition, the China Hi-Tech Fair, China International Small & Medium Enterprises Fair, China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, China International Cultural Industries Fair, China Processing Trade Products Fair, Guangdong 21st Century Marine Silk Road International Expo, and other large-scale exhibitions have also established their reputations in the international arena. 

4. Green environment 

Guangdong strives to build a natural environment filled with green hills and clear water. Currently, Guangdong boasts a forest stock volume of 573 million cubic meters and a forest coverage rate as high as 58.98 percent. Air quality improvement actions have been fully implemented to bring the annual concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 down by 5.9 percent, making Guangdong the province with the most days with good and excellent air quality in China. The Pearl River Delta national forest city cluster and the green eco-water networks are well under construction and have achieved great progress. There are a total of five national forest cities and 190 wetland parks in Guangdong. The natural environment is improving due to all the efforts being put in place.

Guangdong adheres to the green and sustainable strategy to promote development while protecting the natural environment and has embedded this concept into all aspects of its economic and social activities. Intensified resource utilization and recycling has become an important means of protecting the natural environment. Green and low-carbon circular development has been adopted to facilitate the growth of the energy-saving and environmental protection industry and to enhance the supply capacity of equipment and products involved in environmental protection. New energy vehicles have been introduced, with plans to further increase the mass production of electric vehicles. Higher energy-saving standards for buildings are set to encourage the use of environmentally-friendly materials and the construction of green buildings. Factories are required to launch campaigns to realize green and clean production and transform conventional techniques and processes to make them cleaner. The province is also formulating a green financial system.

Investment promotion agencies

1. Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province

Contact:

Tel: +86(20)38819392, 38819382

Fax: 38802234

E-mail: touzi@gdcom.gov.cn

Address: No 351 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong

2. Invest Shenzhen

Contact:

Tel: (0086)755-88107023, (0086)755-88107008

E-mail: investshenzhen@sz.gov.cn

Address: Great China International Exchange Square, No 1 Fuhua Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong

Postcode: 518034

3. Shenzhen Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment

Contact:

Tel: 0755-83660323, 83660797

4. Guangzhou Foreign Investment Management and Service Center

Contact:

Tel: 020-83379532

Fax: 020-83379561

Address: Guangren Building, No 1 Guangren Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong

Postcode: 510030

5. Invest Guangzhou

Contact:

Tel: 020-38920744, 020-38920775

Fax: 020-38920747, 020-38920724

E-mail: info@investguangzhou.gov.cn

6. Guangdong Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment

Contact:

Tel: 87362187, 87374574, 87375493, 87367696

Fax: 87363687

E-mail: info@gdaefi.org.cn

Postcode: 510600

7. Invest in Dongguan

Contact:

Tel: +86-769-22817270, +86-769-22819925, +86-769-22817370

Fax: +86-769-22817593

E-mail: fipc@dg.gov.cn

Address: No 33 Guantai Avenue, Dongguan, Guangdong