Leadership Insights | Xi's Stories: Guangxi-New Practices of Local Governments in the New Era

Pursuing ocean-oriented opening up and development with an open mind and an innovative spirit

One of the key departure ports of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has witnessed the glory of China’s maritime civilization. Today, Guangxi is standing at a new historical starting point. Guided by the strategy of “emancipating the mind, seeking innovation, and pursuing ocean-oriented opening up and development”, it is writing a magnificent chapter in the new era.

Under the call of emancipating the mind, Guangxi continues to break outdated mindsets, and deepen reforms and innovation with a great courage, and embrace the world with a more open attitude. By deepening system and mechanism reforms and stimulating market vitality and public creativity, it is gradually becoming an important window for opening up in western China.

In 2023, the added value of Guangxi’s strategic emerging industries accounted for about 20% of the total added value of industries above the designated size. 

In 2023, Guangxi’s total import and export volume reached 693.65 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.3%, over-fulfilling the yearly target of the autonomous region. 

Guangxi successfully held the 20th China-ASEAN Expo, and hosted the first side event on the theme of institutional opening up and the first World Forestry Industry Conference. 

Beibu Gulf Port opened six new international container routes, achieving full coverage of major ports in Southeast Asia.

The growth rate of the port’s cargo throughput ranked second among all 100-million-ton coastal ports in China. 

Sea-rail intermodal trains from the port achieved full coverage in western China. 

Guangxi has accelerated the construction of the China-ASEAN Industrial Cooperation Zone.

Efforts have been made to advance the more than 700 projects under construction, with a planned investment of more than 1 trillion yuan.

Projects such as the China-Vietnam Smart Port and the China-ASEAN Fruit Trading Center have been implemented. 

Guangxi has signed 18 cooperation agreements with 15 centrally administered state-owned enterprises. 

The China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone has carried out institutional innovation to promote “liberation and facilitation” in six aspects, and set up five collaborative development zones. 

It strives to promote the expansion and quality of foreign trade, with its trade with other RCEP member countries increasing by 23.7%, border trade increasing by 27.6%, and bonded logistics increasing by 24.3%. 

(Source: Guangxi Municipal Government Work Report 2024)

Industrial development is the foundation for invigorating Guangxi and the key to enriching the local people. In the future, Guangxi will continue to adhere to the construction of a modern industrial system, make persistent efforts to inject strong impetus into its economic and social development, and break new ground for its industrial revitalization.