Profiles of China Provinces, Cities and Industrial Parks

Major Economic Indicators

Notes:  ¹ In Renminbi real terms   
             ² For all state-owned and other forms of enterprises with annual sales over RMB 5 million.
            ³ Jan-Jun of 2011
Sources: Guangxi Statistical Yearbook 2011, Guangxi Statistical Bureau, China’s Customs Statistics 12.2010, 8.2011 

General Background

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region - abbreviated as Gui（桂）- is situated on the coast of the Beibu Gulf（北部灣）.  It assumes an important role in the Western Region Development Program, especially as a hub of sea transportation.  According to the latest census, Guangxi’s permanent population stood at 46.1 million in 2010. Ethnic minorities account for about 37% of Guangxi’s total population.

Guangxi is rich in natural resources.  Among the 96 kinds of mineral deposits found in the Region, the deposits of tin, manganese, antimony and lime are the largest in China. Besides, Guangxi is also rich in timber and forestry resources.

Guangxi produces a large number of cash crops, including sugarcane, palm-oil seeds, bananas, pineapple and rosin. Among them, output of sugarcane and fruits is the largest in the country.

Industries

The primary sector accounted for over 17.5% of the GDP.  While the coast of the Beibu Gulf is a leading fishery and fish farming area, sugarcane plantation is also an important industry in Guangxi.

Composition of GDP (%)

Source: Guangxi Statistical Yearbook 2011

A marked share of Guangxi’s industrial production is related to the region’s rich mineral deposits and agri- and aquacultural outputs, such as sugarcane and food processing, nonferrous metal, etc.  Machinery industry is another major sector including automobiles, heavy mining machinery, electrical & electronics, instruments & apparatus, standard parts and component. Given its coastal location, the Region has also developed a strong chemical and oil refinary sector in recent years.

Value-added Share of Leading Industry Groups (2010)

Source: Guangxi Statistical Yearbook 2011

For services industry, the wholesale & retail trade sector, transportation storage & postal services, finance, hotel & catering accounted for 19%, 13%, 12% and 7% of the added value of tertiary sector in 2010. Guangxi is planning to capitalise on its location advantage to develop into a trade and logistic centre for the free trade region of ASEAN and China.

Tourism

The beautiful landscapes and colorful ethnic culture make Guangxi one of China's well-known tourist spots. There are more than 3 state-level scenic spots and 7 state-level historical & cultural protection units in Guangxi.  Among which,  the "Lijiang Scenes" in Guilin（桂林漓江風光）and the Beihai Silver Beach（北海銀灘）are the most famous attractions.

In 2010, Guangxi received 2.5 million (+19.2%) overseas tourists with foreign exchange income of US$807 million (+25.5%). Visitors from Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan increased by 17.7% to1.1 million in 2010. Domestic tourists grew by 19.2% to 140 million in 2010 , generating a revenue of RMB89.8 billion (+36.7%).

Foreign Trade

Major exports were mechanical & electrical products, garments and clothing, rolled steel, porcelain and pottery wares, rolled steel and spin yarn, fabrics & the products.  Hong Kong was the second largest export market in 2010 after Vietnam.  Guangxi’s export to Hong Kong reached US$990 million in 2010 (+30.8%).

Major import goods included soybean, iron ores, petroleum products refined etc.  Imports mainly come from Vietnam, Australia, US and India. Guangxi’s import from Hong Kong stood at US$36million in 2010 (-20.8%).

The China-ASEAN Expo is a major annual event and Guangxi is aiming to leverage on its geographic location in bridging trade and investment flows between China and ASEAN.

Foreign Investment

Foreign direct investments mainly involved in manufacturing and construction sectors.  Besides, FDI are also encouraged in the sectors of primary industries, hi-tech industries, building materials, agriculture development projects and technology upgrade of existing manufacturing enterprises.

Hong Kong was the largest source of foreign investment in Guangxi. In 2010, utilized foreign capital from Hong Kong amounted to US$521 million, accounting for 57% of Guangxi’s total FDI. Other major sources of investment included Singapore, British Virgin Islands and Macau.

Consumer Market

Retail sales of consumer goods rose by 18.7% to RMB331.2 billion in 2010.  Major consumer centres are located at Nanning, Liuzhou and Guilin, accounting for 27%, 14.4% and 11.9% of the region's total retail sales respectively. In 2010, annual per capita disposal income of urban households reached RMB17,064 (+10.4%).

With continued rises in income and economic reforms, Guangxi’s consumer expenditure pattern is also undergoing structural change.  With the share of food declined, the expenditures on services, in particular transportation and communications has gained in relative share.

Composition of Per Capita Consumption of Urban Household (%)

Source: Guangxi Statistical Yearbook 2011

The retail landscape is also changing. Besides traditional department stores, various forms of operations such as chain stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets and convenience stores are gaining popularity in Guangxi, both from domestic and foreign investors. Major department stores and shopping centres in Guangxi include Nanning Department Store（南寧市百貨大樓）, Guilin Department Store Shareholding Corp. Ltd.（桂林百貨大樓股份有限公司）, and Liuzhou Industrial & Commerce Building Shareholding Corp. Ltd.（柳州工貿大廈股份有限公司）. Investors from outside Guangxi include Beijing Hualin, Wal-mart and Wangfujing Department Store.

Economic Indicators of Major Cities (2010)

* For all state-owned and other forms with annual sales over RMB 5 million
Source: Guangxi Statistical Yearbook 2011