International Business and Trade

The import and export of Guangzhou amounted to 856.69 billion yuan in 2016, up 3.1% year on year, with exports of 518.7 billion yuan, up 3% year on year, and imports of 337.99 billion yuan, up 3.3% year on year. In the same year, the city attracted the contracted foreign capital of 9.9 billion US dollars, with the actualized foreign capital of 5.7 billion US dollars. A total of 288 World Top 500 companies set up 797 enterprises (projects) in Guangzhou in the meantime. The city also handled 263 overseas investment programs by local companies.

Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation

In 2016, the city made breakthroughs in the Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Service Trade Liberalization. The exchange between and cooperation of the youth of Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao also became closer in the meantime. The trade between Guangzhou and Hong Kong amounted to 99.68 billion yuan in the same year, up 6.1% year on year while the trade between Guangzhou and Macao stood at 3.03 billion yuan.

International Sister City

Guangzhou continued to pursue friendly relationships with more foreign cities and the exchange with sister cities was more practical than ever. As of the end of 2016, the city had established sister city relationships with 36 cities from 33 countries of 6 continents as well as international friendly cooperation and exchange relationships with 29 cities from 24 countries of 6 continents.

Overseas Chinese People: In 2016, the city accommodated a total of over 2,000 person-times of overseas Chinese visitors from 83 countries as well as over 200 person-times of Hong Kong and Macao compatriots; invited 30 young overseas Chinese leaders from over 20 countries and regions to attend the Middle-aged and Young Leaders of Overseas Organizations Seminar held in Guangzhou and invited 70 overseas Chinese youngsters from 13 countries and regions to Guangzhou to attend the Root-seeking Summer Camp in China.

Guangzhou is the first Chinese city to grant honorary citizenships, offering the title of “Guangzhou Honorary Citizen” to a total of 437 overseas Chinese people, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots and foreigner with good will, in 15 batches, during the past 30 years starting from 1986. The honorary citizens invested a total of more than 130 billion yuan in Guangzhou, making great contributions to the social and economic development of the city.

Guangzhou-Taiwan Exchange & Cooperation. In 2016, Guangzhou carried out 656 exchange programs with Taiwan for 3,467 person-times. The 6th Guangzhou-Taiwan Youth Forum, the 12th Guangzhou-Taiwan School Masters Forum, the 4th Guangzhou-Taiwan Finance Forum and the 6th Guangzhou-Taiwan Healthcare Forum were held successively. The total trade transaction between Guangzhou and Taiwan amounted to 3.9 billion US dollars in the same year, occupying 3.01% of the city’s total.

International Exchange

Strengthening Foreign Exchange. Senior Guangzhou leaders led delegations for 17 times of overseas visits. The city also won the bid to host the 2017 Fortune Global Forum and the 2018 World Route Development Forum while an agreement was reached between the International Finance Forum (IFF) and Guangzhou Municipal Government that the IFF’s Annual Global Conference will be held in Guangzhou in 2017. A total of over 30 international conferences were also held in Guangzhou successively throughout the year.

Participating Global City Governance. Guangzhou was successfully elected co-president city of the fifth UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments) World Congress for the fourth consecutive time, representing all Chinese cities and local governments. The city also founded the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, integrating the functions of the Guangzhou Award, the innovation conference and the innovation festival. The 2016 event, which was held in December, integrated the award, the conference and the festival, attracting over 1,000 domestic and overseas guests from over 100 cities and international organizations of 48 countries and regions.

International Hub

In 2016, Guangzhou centered its work on expanding the space for the city’s development, attaching great importance to building an international navigation hub, an international aviation hub, an international scientific and technological innovation hub and creating a hub-like international information harbor. The city has become the portal city for the opening-up and foreign cooperation in South China.

Guangzhou Port. In 2016, Guangzhou Port realized the total cargo throughput and container throughput of 544 million tons and 18.86 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit), respectively. The port also realized the berthing of cruise liners for 104 times and the passenger transportation of more than 300,000 person-times, with the size of cruise liner passenger flow emerging as No.3 of the nation. All harbor areas of Guangzhou Port has opened a total of 166 container lines, establishing friendly port cooperation relationships with a total of 38 ports.