Welcoming the 20th National Congress | Guangdong: Promoting Reform and Opening-up to a Higher Level

The sons and daughters of Southern Guangdong joyfully welcome the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Party with a spirit of “pioneering,” an entrepreneurial drive, and a pragmatic work ethic—

Guangdong: Promoting Reform and Opening-up to a Higher Level

In the golden autumn season, the Lingnan region is brimming with vitality. The people of Southern Guangdong are shouldering the important responsibility of advancing the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Shenzhen Pilot Demonstration Zone for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. With a spirit of "pioneering," an entrepreneurial drive, and a pragmatic work ethic, they warmly welcome the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and are propelling reform and opening-up to a new level.

To promote the achievements of innovative development and vivid practices of reform, the Party Working Committee of the Guangzhou Development Zone has organized a series of mass-based thematic publicity and education activities aimed at government agencies, communities, and enterprises, all in celebration of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Guangzhou Mingluo Equipment Co., Ltd. was one of the stops on this journey. Yao Weibing, the company’s head, said: “Over the past four years, our revenue has tripled, and the degree of digitalization in intelligent manufacturing has continued to rise. We’re full of confidence about the future!”

The overseas project production line of Guangzhou Mingluo Equipment Co., Ltd. (photographed on April 10, 2019). Xinhua News Agency photo.

In the first half of this year, the Guangzhou Development Zone proposed 125 specific reform tasks across six key areas to improve the business environment. Wu Huahua, Director of the Zone’s Business Environment Reform Bureau, said that as firsthand witnesses, participants, and promoters of these reforms, we are eagerly looking forward to the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. We are hopeful that the Congress will further clarify the direction for comprehensively deepening reform—including optimizing the business environment.

Citizens handle business at the Business Establishment Service Area of the Government Service Center in Guangzhou Development Zone (photographed on September 15, 2022). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Hanxin.

On August 1 of this year, Shenzhen Special Economic Zone’s “Regulations on the Management of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles”—the nation’s first regulatory framework for intelligent and connected vehicles—officially came into effect, allowing fully autonomous vehicles to operate on designated road segments without a human driver. The introduction of this regulation represents yet another significant achievement in Shenzhen’s efforts to build itself as a pioneering demonstration zone for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

A Pony.ai autonomous vehicle drives on the Qianhai Road in Shenzhen (photographed on August 1, 2022). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liang Xu.

In July 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the ninth meeting of the Central Commission for Deepening Reform and approved the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Supporting Shenzhen's Development as a Pilot Demonstration Zone of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics." This document embodies the strategic intent of the Party Central Committee to establish special economic zones and assigns Shenzhen an even higher national mission. Guo Wanda, Executive Deputy Director of the China (Shenzhen) Institute for Comprehensive Development, said: “Since the policy was released three years ago, Shenzhen has been steadily and swiftly advancing its reforms. Focusing on addressing real-world issues related to high-quality development, Shenzhen has deepened reform and conducted pioneering trials in key areas such as market-based allocation of production factors, optimization of the business environment, and coordinated utilization of urban space. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will undoubtedly inject new momentum into Shenzhen’s reform efforts.”

The development and construction of major platforms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, such as Hengqin and Qianhai, continue to yield promising news. In October 2018, during his inspection tour of Guangdong, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Hengqin enjoys inherent advantages from Guangdong-Macao cooperation; we must strengthen policy support and enrich the substance of our collaboration.” He also emphasized, “Shenzhen should steadily advance the construction of Qianhai and introduce more pragmatic and innovative reform measures.” On August 10 of this year, the “Implementation Measures (Trial) for Supporting Technological Innovation by the Administration of the Shenzhen Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone” were officially released, vigorously addressing the challenge of cross-border integration of innovation factors among Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao. On September 15, the main structural construction of four customs supervision sites along the “second-line” passage in the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone was completed, and the associated information technology infrastructure projects are progressing smoothly.

Freshmen at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) pose for a group photo before the opening ceremony (photographed on September 1, 2022). Xinhua News Agency.

“Guangdong is firmly committed to following the central government’s top-level design, steadily and surely promoting comprehensive deepening of reform with breakthroughs in multiple areas and advancing it in greater depth,” said a relevant official from the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission. In preparation for the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Guangdong will further focus on key areas and critical links, coordinate efforts to achieve significant progress in creative and leading-edge reforms, and demonstrate Guangdong’s sense of responsibility in serving the broader national interests.

From the Pearl River Delta to eastern, western, and northern Guangdong—and from heavy and chemical industries to equipment manufacturing—a large number of major foreign-invested projects have been successively launched, propelling Guangdong toward a higher level of opening up to the world.

The Japanese company Taiyo Yuden has decided to expand its ceramic capacitor production project, and Italy’s Viron digital supply chain initiative has been successfully launched... By the end of August this year, the two-day Dongguan Global Investment Promotion Conference concluded with the signing of 72 domestic and foreign projects, involving a total investment of nearly 110 billion yuan and covering fields such as next-generation information technology, high-end equipment, and new energy.

This is the scene from the 2022 Dongguan Global Investment Promotion Conference (photographed on August 26, 2022). Photo by Xinhua News Agency.

Local officials in Dongguan told reporters that the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is about to be successfully held. Grassroots Party members and cadres are driven by a strong sense of urgency and responsibility—“unable to sit still, impatient to wait, and unwilling to slow down”—to promote industrial transformation and upgrading, and are working hard to ensure steady and sustained economic development.

On September 6, the BASF (Guangdong) Integrated Base project—invested in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province by Germany’s BASF Group—held a ceremony marking the start of full-scale construction and the commissioning of its first set of equipment. With a total investment of approximately 10 billion euros, this project represents the largest single investment ever made by a German company in China.

The Zhanjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone, where the project is located, is currently hosting an online cultural festival titled “Welcoming the 20th National Congress—Embarking on a New Journey.” Wang Wei, a member of the Party Committee of the Zhanjiang Economic Development Zone, said: “Party members and residents across the zone are thrilled at the imminent arrival of the 20th National Congress and delighted to see the integrated base project successfully launched and put into operation. We are actively coordinating with BASF to attract downstream customers and strive to leverage the ‘magnetic effect’ of this major project, thereby driving the specialized and large-scale development of our industries.”

The BASF (Guangdong) Integrated Site, invested and built by Germany’s BASF Group in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province (photographed on January 21, 2022).

The rural trails are smooth and well-maintained; the village homestays each have their own unique charm; and inside the agricultural greenhouses, everyone is bustling with activity... Lianzhang Village in Lianjiangkou Town, Yingde City, Guangdong Province—once visited by General Secretary Xi Jinping in October 2018—is now undergoing a remarkable transformation and has embarked on a new journey of rural revitalization.

Lu Yihe, a villager from Lianzhang Village who was awarded the "2020 National Poverty Alleviation and Development Award—Effort Award," said: “The dramatic transformation our village has undergone proves that as long as we follow the General Secretary’s instructions, we can not only shake off poverty but also achieve robust development. We’re all eagerly anticipating the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China—and even more so, we’re looking forward to the new policies for development that the Congress will bring, ensuring that our lives keep getting better and better.”

This is a view of Lianzhang Village in Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province (photographed on June 11, 2020). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Deng Hua.

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