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Profiles of China Provinces, Cities and Industrial Parks



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Content provided by :  China Knowledge
   
5 Sept 2011
Guangzhou ( Guangdong ) City Information

Major Economic Indicators (2010)

Land Area (km2) 7,435
Population (million) 8.9
GDP (RMB billion) 1,060.45
GDP Composition
Primary Industry 1.8%
Secondary Industry
(Industry & Contruction)		 37.2%
Tertiary Industry (Service) 61%
GDP Per Capita (RMB) 119,151
Unemployment Rate 2.23%
Fixed Asset Investment (RMB billion) 266
Utilized FDI (USD million) 3,980
Total Import & Export (USD million) 103,770
Export (USD million) 48,380
Import (USD million) 55,390
Sales of Consumer Goods (RMB billion) 447.6
Source Source:Guangzhou Economic & Social Development Report 2010

 
Introduction
 

Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital city of Guangdong Province - the largest economy in mainland China in terms of its GDP in 2009. The city was among the first batch of portal cities opened to foreign countries. Guangzhou is located in the middle of southern Guangdong, close to the South China Sea. Lying to the north of the Pearl River Delta, the city is 120 km northwest of Hong Kong and 145 km north of Macau.

Guangzhou has a convenient transportation system. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport handled nearly 37 million passengers and 685,867 tons of freight in 2009, ranking second and third in mainland China. Guangzhou Port, ranked the third-largest container port in China in terms of cargo traffic in 2009, handled 11.2 million TEUs in the same year. Guangzhou is also easily accessible by railways and highways, as the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, Guangzhou-Zhuhai Railway and Guangzhou-Zhuhai Highway go through the city.

There were 76 universities and colleges in Guangzhou in 2009, with the number of college graduates amounting to 1387,800 within the same year. Prominent universities in the city include Sun Yat-Sen University, South China University of Technology, South China Normal University and Jinan University.
 
Economic Features
 
In 2010, Guangzhou's GDP increased by 13% from the year before to RMB 1060.45 billion, ranking third among all the cities in mainland China and first among all the cities in Guangdong Province. The city's GDP made up almost 23.3% of that of Guangdong. The added value from the industry sector and service sector contributed 37.2% and 61% to Guangzhou's GDP respectively.

The metropolis has established the automobiles, electronics and petrochemicals industries as its mainstream industries. In 2010, gross industrial output from these three industries rose 23.3% year on year to RMB 664.96 billion, accounting for 45.17% of the output from enterprises with designed size and above.

Guangzhou is one of China's most important automobile manufacturing hubs. In 2010, its automobile output rose 20.2% year on year to 1.35 million units, accounting for 8.2% of China's total automobile output. Guangzhou is also home to joint ventures of Japan-based Toyota, Honda and Nissan. Guangzhou Toyota Motor Co. Ltd, a joint venture between Guangzhou Automobile and Toyota Motor Corp, was set up in 2004 with a registered capital of RMB 1.3 billion. In 2007 alone, it produced 170,000 'Camry' sedans. In 1987, Guangzhou Automobile and Honda jointly invested in Guangzhou Honda with a registered capital of RMB 1.16 billion. The unit is capable of producing 240,000 automobiles annually.

Guangzhou is also home to household chemical producers, such as Liby and Houdy. P&G also established its Chinese headquarters in Guangzhou in 1988. China's three oil giants - Sinopec, PetroChina and CNOOC have all also established businesses in Guangzhou. Sinopec's Guangzhou unit has an annual oil refining capacity of 13 million tons. Additionally, the electronics sector has attracted many multi-national and homegrown enterprises such as Panasonic, Sony, Ericsson and Haier.

Guangzhou is the third largest consumer market in China after Shanghai and Beijing. In 2009, the sales of consumer goods amounted to RMB 364.8 billion, representing an increase of 16.2% year on year. The largest consumption goods categories were textiles, food and beverages, and automobiles.

Guangzhou's foreign trade value up 35.3% year on year to US$103.78 billion, accounting for 12.6% of Guangdong's total. In addition, Guangzhou's total export up 29.3% to US$48.38 billion. Major exports include mechanical and electronic products, with an export value amounting to US$25 billion. Its largest foreign trade partner is Hong Kong.

In 2010, the utilized FDI in Guangzhou rose 5.4% year on year to US$3.98 billion, while contractual foreign investments up 31.4% % to US$4.97 billion within the same year. By the end of 2010, 174 Fortune 500 enterprises had invested in 411 projects in Guangzhou, with total investments amounting to US$17.8 billion.

Canton Fair, founded in 1957, is the largest trade fair in China in terms of product categories, number of exhibitors and traders, and transaction deals. It is held each spring and autumn in Guangzhou.
 
Cultural Highlights
 

Guangzhou is a famous historical city in China. Its history dates back to 214 BC, when Panyu (the first city built in Guangzhou) was founded. Guangzhou was the capital city of three Chinese dynasties: the South Yue, the South Han and the South Ming. It has also served as a leading trade port since the middle of the eighteenth century due to ships from foreign companies, such as the British East India Company and Dutch East India Company, frequently passing through. It maintained its position as a leading trade port till the Opium Wars in 1840, after which more ports in China were opened to foreign countries.

Guangzhou’s Cantonese culture is part of Lingnan Culture, which features the aboriginal culture of the Nanyue ethnic group. Cantonese culture includes the Cantonese dialect, Cantonese Opera, Lingnan cuisines and music.
 
Tourist Attraction
 

As one of China's top tourist destinations, Guangzhou is home to White Cloud Mountain, Bright Filial Piety Temple (Guangxiao Temple), Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou Peasant Movement Institute, and other natural and cultural heritage sites.

Cantonese Cuisine (also known as Guangzhou Cuisine) is comprised of a great variety of elements such a birds, freshwater fish, seafood, vegetables and other exotic ingredients. Its most famous dishes include Roast Suckling Pig, Dragon Fighting Against The Tiger (Long Hu Dou), Taiye Chicken, Double-skin Milk and Wonton Noodles. The Cantonese call breakfast "morning tea" (a literal translation from "he zaocha” in Chinese). During breakfast, locals usually eat some snacks while drinking tea.
 
Major Development Zones
 

There are seven state-level development zones in Guangzhou.

Name
Area (km²)
Pillar Industries
GDP in 2010
(RMB billion)
Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone
38.60
 Chemicals and chemical products, electrical machinery, food and beverage, electronics, communication equipment
161.8
(Including Guangzhou High-tech Development Zone, Guangzhou Free Trade Zone, Guangzhou Export Processing Zone)
Guangzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone
37.34
 Electronics, information technology, biology, pharmaceuticals, new materials
N.A.
Guangzhou Free Trade Zone
1.40
 Foreign trade, bonded warehousing, export processing
N.A.
Guangzhou Export Processing Zone
3.00
 Optoelectronics, bio-medicals, fine chemicals
N.A.
Guangzhou Nanhu National Tourist and Holiday Resort
15.00
 Tourism, entertainment, sports, leisure
N.A.
Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone
27.60
 Plastics, chemicals, electronics, food processing, shipbuilding
40.5
(2009)
Guangzhou Nansha Export Processing Zone
1.40
 Information technology, optoelectronics, precision machinery, home appliances
N.A.

Source: National Development and Reform Commission
Note: Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Guangzhou Export
Processing Zone, Guangzhou Free Trade Zone and Guangzhou High-tech Industrial
Development Zone are all in Guangzhou Development District.
 
Honors
 

National Hygienic City (2008)
-Ministry of Health of P.R. China

International Garden City (2001)
-International Gardens Association

Historic and Cultural City (1986) )
- State Council of China

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