BYD's concept car

2025 Imperial Springs International Forum held in Guangzhou

2025 Understanding China International Conference attracted more than 800 Chinese and foreign guests

International former political figures attended the Imperial Springs International Forum held in Guangzhou

Staff operated Leju's KUAVO robot using VR equipment

On December 8th, 2025, Guangdong officially released the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (the "Plan Recommendations"). As China's largest economic province and a frontier of reform and opening-up, Guangdong has outlined its development path for the next five years (2026-2030).

At the recently concluded 2025 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou) and 2025 Imperial Springs International Forum, numerous experts and dignitaries from China and abroad conducted in-depth discussions on China's 15th Five-Year Plan. Combined with Guangdong's Plan Recommendations, a "new Guangdong" is depicted to the world as a modern economic powerhouse with technological innovation as its soul, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as its engine, and an open embrace to the world.

Guangdong aims to be a global leader in technological innovation

At the Understanding China Conference, Huang Qifan, Executive Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of China Institute for Innovation & Development Strategy, pointed out that reform and innovation operate as a dual engine driving China's development. This assertion is vividly reflected in Guangdong's plan. The future economic landscape of Guangdong will be dominated by "intelligence" and "green development". According to the Plan Recommendations, Guangdong will vigorously develop strategic emerging industries and make forward-looking layouts for future industries.

In 2024, Guangdong, known as a "world factory", produced a quarter of China's new energy vehicles, nearly half of China's industrial robots, and over 40% of China's smartphones.

However, despite its existing manufacturing advantages, Guangdong has set its sights on the cutting edge of science and technology. The Plan clearly proposes promoting quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen energy, nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied AI, and 6G communications as new economic growth points. To achieve this goal, Guangdong will explore the establishment of "special science and technology innovation zones" and implement inclusive and prudent supervision. This means that for high-tech start-ups, Guangdong will provide a more flexible and inclusive growth environment. More than 40 years ago, China's reform and opening-up began with the establishment of "special economic zones" in Guangdong. Today, Guangdong is exploring the setup of "special science and technology innovation zones" to continue pioneering China's reform.

Notably, according to the Plan Recommendations, artificial intelligence (AI) will no longer be a single industry for Guangdong but will permeate the entire economy and society. Guangdong will vigorously promote the construction of "data sets+computing power+large models" and build a smart computing power network covering the entire province. This is not only a technological upgrade but also the creation of a new model of intelligent economy featuring "human-machine collaboration and cross-sector integration."

Guangdong will open wider to the world

As China's leading province in foreign trade, Guangdong will continue to consolidate this position in the future. The Plan Recommendations propose building a strong province in trade, vigorously developing cross-border e-commerce, and promoting the model combining "cross-border e-commerce and industrial belts".

Guangdong will optimize the layout of overseas warehouses and expand green trade and digital trade. For global retailers and consumers, this means easier access to made-in-China products and global goods at a lower cost through Guangdong's cross-border e-commerce platforms.

The GBA development is the core engine of Guangdong during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Guangdong will continue to advance the GBA construction.

In terms of "hard connectivity" such as infrastructure construction, Guangdong will push forward the construction of landmark projects during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, including the new Guangzhou airport, the second Guangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed railway, and the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Corridor, to realize a "one-hour living circle."

In terms of "soft connectivity" involving rule alignment, Guangdong will deepen the connection of rules and mechanisms with Hong Kong and Macao, especially in service sectors such as law, medical care, and finance.

In terms of "people-to-people connectivity" among residents of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, Guangdong will leverage the cohesion brought by the successful hosting of the 15th National Games to further promote exchanges and integration among the people of the three regions.

For overseas investors, the optimization of the business environment proposed in the Plan Recommendations is full of highlights:

Lifting unreasonable restrictions. Guangdong clearly proposes to eliminate unreasonable restrictions on consumption, such as automobiles and housing, which indicates that market access in Guangdong will be more relaxed.

Fostering new strengths in attracting foreign investment. Guangdong explicitly states that it will ensure both easy market access and accommodating business environments for foreign investors and facilitate reinvestments made by foreign-funded enterprises in China. It will improve the system of services and support for foreign investors, guide more foreign capital to flow into advanced manufacturing, high and new technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, and other fields, and attract headquarters of multinational corporations and functional institutions such as R&D centers to settle in Guangdong.

In short, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Guangdong will continue to expand its "gateway" of opening-up and build itself into the destination of choice for foreign investment in China.

Why the world should pay attention to Guangdong's 15th Five-Year Plan?

At the 2025 Understanding China Conference and 2025 Imperial Springs International Forum, many former dignitaries spoke highly of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Mulatu Teshome, former President of Ethiopia, stated that China's path to modernization offers a new alternative to developing countries, breaking the traditional perception that modernization must follow the Western path.

Danilo Türk, former president of Slovenia and president of World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, expressed admiration for China's long-term stable and systematic five-year plans. He believes that in a turbulent world, China's adherence to the development path of the past three decades is crucial.

Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Belgium, highly recognized the direction of "promoting high-quality economic development through high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength" proposed in the Plan, believing that it will have a profound impact on the global economic pattern. He used "dynamism" to describe his impression of China's economic development.

In line with the national-level recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, Guangdong's Plan Recommendations clarify that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is not only a "roadmap" for Guangdong's development but also an "invitation letter" for global investment.

In the next five years, Guangdong will not only be a global manufacturing hub but also a source of scientific and technological innovation, a pioneer in green development, and a hub for international cooperation. For overseas enterprises, whether to engage in cutting-edge research in quantum technology, to lay out the broad cross-border e-commerce market, or to participate in the infrastructure construction of the GBA, they will find their own development opportunities in this vibrant land.

It is also the signal conveyed by the two international conferences held in Guangdong: China's development is an opportunity for the world, and Guangdong is the key to that opportunity.

Reporter  Zhaopeng，Fuyi

Picture by Wenzeguang，Liangyu ，Zhongzhenbin