GBA Briefs

Hong Kong

2025 Sunlife Hong Kong Dragon Boat Races begin on Saturday

The 2025 Sunlife Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will kick off on Saturday at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. The two-day event features races in 19 categories, with over 190 teams and more than 4,500 athletes from 12 countries and regions participating. This year, a special new category for secondary schools has been added to encourage young people to engage with traditional intangible cultural heritage.

Macao

Promotional tours highlight SAR's 'connector' role

The Macao Special Administrative Region's Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute secured preliminary investment commitments from several Beijing-based enterprises during recent promotional tours for economic diversification. At the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2025 and the 27th China Beijing International High-tech Expo, the institute engaged with over 20 companies. Many expressed interest in using Macao's platform to access the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Portuguese-speaking markets.

Guangzhou

City unveils policies to boost gaming and esports growth

Guangzhou is poised to implement a comprehensive set of policies aimed at advancing its video game and esports sectors, as reported by local media in late May. This includes establishing support funds for game development and operations, promoting esports events, and building modern venues. The city's government will also work to promote the sector by attracting investment, offering tax incentives, and improving talent recruitment and training.

Shenzhen

Shenzhen advances as intl auto city with nine-day show

Shenzhen, China's technology powerhouse, is working to become an international automobile city, with the 29th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show from May 31 to June 8 boosting this initiative. The event features 112 vehicle brands, 1,039 models, and 50 new-car launches, highlighting advanced technologies and global industry synergy. The city aims to be a manufacturing hub for new energy vehicles, focusing on innovation, research and development, advanced component design, technology application, and trading.

Zhuhai

Science and Technology Week to promote public education

Zhuhai launched its 2025 Science and Technology Week on May 29 to inspire students to pursue scientific studies, and to promote science education among the public.

At the opening ceremony, the Association for Science and Technology of Zhuhai and the Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology of Macao signed an agreement on cooperation in science and technology tourism. Both sides will develop cross-boundary science travel routes for young people, and create a Zhuhai-Macao science tourism brand. The weeklong event will feature more than 70 activities, including a science and technology explanation competition, campus science promotion projects, and health-knowledge sharing campaigns.

Foshan

Foshan launches e-commerce base for foreign trade sales

To support foreign trade enterprises in expanding their domestic sales channels, Foshan's Municipal Bureau of Commerce, in collaboration with business organizations, has launched a live e-commerce base on June 1.

Linked to a supply chain valued at 100 billion yuan ($13.9 billion), the base aims to attract over 100 local foreign trade companies and invite top live streaming teams to conduct regular broadcasts. The annual sales volume generated through the center is expected to exceed 500 million yuan.

Huizhou

Huizhou gains second-tier city status in new ranking evaluation

Huizhou has been recognized as a second-tier city in China, according to the New First-Tier Cities Research Institute. The evaluation considered five factors: commercial resource concentration, urban hub status, citizen engagement, competitiveness in emerging industries, and future growth potential.

Out of 337 cities, Huizhou ranked 40th overall. Last year, Huizhou's GDP surpassed 600 billion yuan ($83.53 billion) for the first time, reaching 613.6 billion yuan - a 4.2 percent year-on-year increase. The growth rate ranked third in Guangdong province.

Dongguan

City's foreign trade surges, driven by growth in emerging markets

In the first four months of this year, Dongguan's total foreign trade reached 486.35 billion yuan ($67.7 billion), a 19.4 percent increase from the previous year. In April, the import-export value surpassed 130 billion yuan, marking a 14.7 percent year-on-year increase, according to the Customs authorities on May 27.

Emerging markets significantly boosted this growth, as trade with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose 42.2 percent. Additionally, trade with India, the UAE, and Central Asia increased 46.9 percent, 11.6 percent, and 88.5 percent, respectively.

Zhongshan

Digital transformation a boost for manufacturing industry

To promote high-quality development and digital transformation in the manufacturing industry, a provincial networking event on industrial chain digitalization was held in Zhongshan on May 27. The meeting focused on implementing the central government's directives on digital transformation.

With its robust manufacturing foundation, Zhongshan aims to enhance digital transformation efforts for key enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, and industrial parks. The city has committed to accelerating the implementation of critical initiatives, including action plans for artificial intelligence and robotics, to drive innovation and competitiveness in the sector.

Jiangmen

World's first self-propelled aquaculture vessel launched

Jiangmen held a launch ceremony for the world's first self-propelled aquaculture vessel - Lingding, on May 27, marking a milestone in China's scientific and technological deep-sea farming advancement. Built by a local company, the vessel is 155.8 meters long and 44 meters wide, with a maximum draft of 20 meters.

Once its internal systems are fully operational, the vessel will have an annual production capacity of 5,000 metric tons and a cruising range of up to 2,000 nautical miles, serving as a vital source of aquatic products for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Zhaoqing

Rapid-express trains cut travel time from city to Guangzhou

The Guangzhou-Zhaoqing and Guangzhou-Huizhou intercity rail lines started rapid-express train services on May 28, shortening the travel time between Guangzhou's Panyu Station and Zhaoqing Station to about 60 minutes.

The new rapid-express trains run daily from 7 am to 11:20 pm, offering 13 trips and stopping at Huizhou's Xiaojinkou, Dongguan's Xiping West, Guangzhou's Panyu, Foshan West, and Zhaoqing stations. The additions mark a significant step forward in enhancing mobility in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.