The Guangzhou Huadu Economic Development Zone has been officially upgraded to a national economic and technological development zone, following the approval from the State Council on October 30.

The upgrade, announced at a press conference held by the Guangdong Provincial Government's Information Office on November 19, recognizes the zone's superior geographical location and over three decades of development.

The zone has established a leading advanced manufacturing cluster, dominated by the automotive industry and its components, and encompassing photovoltaics, energy storage, hydrogen energy, aviation material smart manufacturing, and aviation logistics. It also includes a digital innovation belt represented by new-generation information technology, low-altitude economy, biopharmaceuticals, and a fashion consumer industry cluster featuring leather goods, beauty, and daily chemicals.

Future Development

In the future, Huadu will focus on supporting high-quality foreign investment projects. By utilizing provincial-level foreign investment incentive policies and multinational corporation headquarters policies, the zone will leverage major platforms like the 2024 Global Investment Promotion Conference for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Canton Fair, and China International Import Expo for foreign investment attraction, organizing regular investment surveys for multinational corporations and encouraging foreign enterprises to increase investments in the zone.As a national economic and technological development zone now, and with its unique geographical location, Huadu plays a crucial role in promoting the integrated development of the GBA and Northern Guangdong regions. Efforts will be made to support cities like Qingyuan, Shaoguan, and Heyuan in leveraging the radiation effects of Baiyun Airport's international open hub to achieve the integration of the GBA, sharing the mutual benefits of industrial development.

The zone will also focus on management system reform, exploring a concentrated and efficient management model, and allocating resources and efforts towards industrial development, investment attraction, and project implementation.

Moreover, Huadu will continue to build on its advantages in automotive, new energy, and aerial economy sectors to attract high-quality projects in areas such as new energy storage, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, low-altitude economy, and high-end equipment, fostering new productive forces.

Boosting the Northern Growth Pole

Huadu, with its airport and locational advantages, is Guangzhou's northern growth pole. In March this year, Guangzhou issued the Northern Growth Pole Coordinated Development Plan, planning to build a new platform for international openness in the GBA.

The upgrade of Huadu Economic Development Zone to a national economic development zone is a strong endorsement from the state and province for Guangzhou's efforts in building the northern growth pole, to effectively transform the northern region's transportation hub advantages into gathering and radiation advantages, turning traffic flow into economic retention.

Comprehensive consideration will be given to land use, functional support, facility construction, and management services in the northern growth pole. Major platforms within the region, including aerial economic demonstration zones, and airport comprehensive bonded areas, will undergo integrated optimization of resource allocation. Unified spatial and industrial plans will be formulated to promote mutual, joint, and integrated development among various functional areas and government-enterprise parties.

The zone is also committed to further opening up. Huadu will actively align with RCEP and CPTPP to fully leverage policy advantages such as the national logistics hub for airports and the comprehensive pilot for expanding service industry openness. The zone will deepen institutional openness in goods, services, digital trade, and business travel, forming a new pattern of opening up.

Since the approval of the first batch of national economic development zones in Guangdong, including Guangzhou and Zhanjiang, in 1984, the province now has eight approved national economic development zones, with Guangzhou Huadu Economic Development Zone being the eighth. The national approval of the upgrade of Guangzhou Huadu Economic Development Zone to a national economic development zone is a full affirmation of the province's economic development zone work and the outstanding achievements in the reform and development of Huadu Economic Development Zone.