On July 30^th, a press conference celebrating the nine-year anniversary of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Guangdong FTZ) was held. Over the past nine years, the Guangdong FTZ has consistently ranked among the top in China in terms of economic indicators and institutional innovation. Guangdong has been deeply committed to advancing the FTZ, implementing nearly 700 institutional innovations across investment, trade, finance, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cooperation , achieving significant progress in high-level opening-up and high-quality development.  

Economic powerhouse: Import and export up 29% in first half of the year

The Guangdong FTZ's economic indicators place it at the forefront nationally. Zhang Jinsong, Director-General of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province and Director of the Guangdong FTZ Office , highlighted that the FTZ's foreign trade import and export value surged from 104.7 billion yuan in 2015 to 580 billion yuan in 2023, with an average annual growth rate of 24%. The actual utilization of foreign capital totaled $53.9 billion, with an average annual increase of nearly $6 billion. Tax revenue rose from 57.4 billion yuan in 2015 to 109.4 billion yuan in 2023, averaging an 8.4% annual growth rate. Fixed asset investment exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan cumulatively, with an annual increment surpassing 130 billion yuan. The combined GDP of the three major platforms—Hengqin, Qianhai, and Nansha—increased from 224.4 billion yuan in 2015 to 526 billion yuan in 2023, more than doubling.

In the first half of 2024, the Guangdong FTZ achieved an import and export volume of 333.5 billion yuan, up 29% year-on-year. It utilized $1.96 billion in actual foreign investment, contributing 7.6% of the province's foreign trade and a quarter of its actual foreign investment with only 0.06% of the province's land area.

New heights in openness: 43 institutional innovations replicated in China

Zhang emphasized that the Guangdong FTZ sticks to institutional innovation as its core strategy, deeply implementing the FTZ enhancement strategy to promote high-level opening-up and high-quality development, establishing itself as a testing ground for reform and innovation and a new high ground for opening-up.

It is learned that the institutional innovation of Guangdong FTZ has consistently ranked among the top in China. Over the past nine years, the FTZ has achieved 696 institutional innovations, with 43 of these being replicated nationwide, accounting for 25.75% of the total national replications. Within the province, 216 innovations have been promoted. The Guangdong FTZ has published 301 institutional innovation cases, with eight listed as national best practice cases, representing 9.52% of the national total.

Notably, since 2023, the Guangdong FTZ has implemented a strategic enhancement plan, introducing 20 key measures in six areas and becoming one of the first in China to pilot institutional opening-up aligned with international high standards.

Fully promoting service trade liberalization with Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao 

Additionally, over the past nine years, the Guangdong FTZ has vigorously promoted service trade liberalization with Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. This includes expanding access to finance, law, accounting, engineering, tourism, and certification services for Hong Kong and Macao, establishing China's first wholly-owned or majority-owned banks, securities, and fund institutions from Hong Kong and Macao, and implementing innovative measures such as cross-border payment, cross-boundary wealth management, cross-border insurance, and cross-boundary mortgage loan. 

To facilitate livelihood exchanges between the three regions, 24 categories of professionals, including architects and engineers from Hong Kong and Macao, can practice upon registration. The Guangdong FTZ has established 20 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao joint law firms and incubated 2,251 entrepreneurial teams at youth innovation and entrepreneurship bases. The Guangdong FTZ is home to 26,000 Hong Kong and Macao enterprises, with actual investment from Hong Kong and Macao reaching $50.9 billion, accounting for over 90% of the Guangdong FTZ's total actual foreign investment, making it the top choice for investments from Hong Kong and Macao.　

Source :Yangcheng Evening News

广东自贸试验区挂牌九周年，经济指标、制度创新均稳居全国第一方阵

7月30日，中国（广东）自由贸易试验区成立九周年建设成果新闻发布会举行。记者从会上获悉，九年来，广东自贸试验区经济指标、制度创新均稳居全国第一方阵。广东深入推进自贸试验区建设，围绕投资、贸易、金融、粤港澳合作等领域开展制度创新近700项，高水平开放和高质量发展取得显著成效。

经济“尖子生” 上半年进出口同比增长29%

广东自贸试验区经济指标位列全国第一梯队。会上，广东省商务厅厅长、自贸办主任张劲松说，广东自贸试验区外贸进出口由2015年的1047亿元增至2023年的5800亿元，年均增速达24%；累计实际利用外资539亿美元，年均增长近60亿美元；税收收入由2015年的574亿元增至2023年的1094亿元，年均增速8.4%；固定资产投资累计超过1.2万亿元，年均增量超1300亿元；带动横琴、前海、南沙三大平台国内生产总值由2015年的2244亿元增长到2023年的5260亿元，增长超1倍。

今年上半年，广东自贸试验区实现进出口3335亿元，同比增长29%，实际利用外资19.6亿美元，以全省万分之六的土地面积，贡献了全省7.6%的外贸进出口和1/4的实际外资。

开放“新高地” 43项制度创新成果在全国复制推广

张劲松表示，广东自贸试验区坚持以制度创新为核心，深入实施自贸试验区提升战略，推动广东自贸试验区高水平开放和高质量发展，建设成为改革创新“试验田”、对外开放“新高地”。

据介绍，广东自贸试验区制度创新稳居全国第一方阵。九年来，广东自贸试验区累计形成制度创新成果696项，在全国复制推广43项，占全国集中复制推广的25.75%，在全省复制推广216项；发布制度创新案例301个，列入全国最佳实践案例8个，占全国的9.52%。

值得一提的是，去年以来，广东自贸试验区深入实施自贸试验区提升战略，制定出台六方面20条重点措施，获准全国首批对接国际高标准推进制度型开放试点。

全力推进粤港澳服务贸易自由化

此外，九年来，广东自贸试验区全力推进粤港澳服务贸易自由化，扩大对港澳金融、法律、会计、工程、旅游、检测认证等服务业开放，落地全国首家港澳资独资或控股的银行、证券、基金机构，实施粤港澳跨境支付、跨境理财通、跨境保险、跨境住房按揭等创新措施。

便利三地民生往来，港澳建筑师、工程师等24类专业人士备案即可执业，设立粤港澳联营律师事务所20家，港澳青年创新创业基地累计孵化创业团队2251家。累计入驻港澳资企业2.6万家，实际利用港澳资509亿美元，占广东自贸试验区实际利用外资的九成以上，成为全国港澳投资的首选地。

文｜记者 孙绮曼
译｜赵凡
英文审校｜史洋溢