Guangdong province in South China has committed to vigorously promoting the coordinated development of its manufacturing and service industries by 2026, as highlighted by top official Huang Kunming. As a key member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Huang stressed the importance of embracing the intelligent era, urging entrepreneurs and practitioners to enhance coordination between these two vital sectors, building on a foundation of artificial intelligence technology.
This initiative aims to strengthen Guangdong’s status as a leader in “advanced manufacturing plus modern services,” shifting the province from a major manufacturing area to a prominent smart manufacturing hub. At the Guangdong Provincial High-quality Development Conference in Guangzhou, Huang conveyed that a synergy between manufacturing and service industries is essential for harnessing technological advancements and maintaining competitive advantage in the future.
Huang also discussed the potential for exponential growth through this collaboration, which promises to elevate Guangdong’s productive forces significantly. With a population of over 129 million, the province is well-positioned due to its advanced digital technologies, vast data resources, and diverse application scenarios.
To cultivate stronger industrial clusters, Huang urged provincial departments to support traditional competitive industries in scaling up, enhancing quality and efficiency, while also expanding emerging sectors. His vision includes positioning Guangdong to achieve a GDP of approximately 25.8 trillion yuan ($3.69 trillion) by 2035, aiming for the economic level of moderately developed regions.
In the previous year, Guangdong’s GDP reached 14.58 trillion yuan, marking a 3.9 percent annual increase and reinforcing its sustained leadership in the nation’s economy for 37 years. Huang’s address has generated positive responses from local business leaders.
Liang Hua, the chairman of Huawei Technologies, announced the company’s intention to amplify investment in R&D to satisfy the growing demand for computing power, focusing on developing an open AI ecosystem centered on its Ascend AI chip series. Moreover, underlining the significance of technological innovation, he pledged to create a platform that supports partners in the intelligent transformation across various sectors.
Similarly, Xu Yangtian, founder of the fast fashion retailer Shein, emphasized the critical role of integrating manufacturing and services in shaping global business. He outlined how Shein employs a data-driven model to link user insights with supply chain responsiveness, promising over 10 billion yuan in investments to establish its intelligent supply chain headquarters. This approach aims to position Guangdong as a benchmark for intelligence in fashion manufacturing.
The conference attracted over 200 influential entrepreneurs and business leaders, along with more than 60 experts and scholars, signaling a robust interest in Guangdong’s future economic trajectory. As Guangdong seeks to elevate its industrial capabilities, the positive engagement from the business community provides a hopeful outlook for the province’s ambitious goals.