In the first quarter of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, eastern, western and northern Guangdong took the top four spots in terms of Guangdong's GDP growth. Zhanjiang, Meizhou, Qingyuan and Yunfu led with growth rates of 6.8%, 6.7%, 6.5% and 6.4% respectively. The long-standing dominance of the Pearl River Delta in the rankings has been broken, reflecting a tangible narrowing of regional development gaps across Guangdong.

This achievement was driven by robust industrial growth and proactive investment. Backed by BASF's Verbund site, Zhanjiang's value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size jumped 19.7% year on year. Major projects under the "Traveling Towards Hainan" initiative have also attracted over 20 billion yuan in investment to Zhanjiang. Driven by the Guang Mei Industrial Park, Meizhou saw its advanced manufacturing sector grow by 27.7% and high-tech manufacturing by 39.4%. At the very beginning of 2026, the park launched a batch of key projects with total investment exceeding 4.4 billion yuan. Qingyuan achieved a 10.3% increase in value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size, driven by large-scale infrastructure development and dynamic industrial projects in its industrial parks. In Yuantan Town alone, nine projects were signed, with total investment exceeding 2.6 billion yuan. Yunfu saw its metal intelligent manufacturing sector post a 35.5% year-on-year increase in the value-added industrial output of enterprises above the designated size in the first quarter. Its modern agriculture sector,which surpassed 100 billion yuan in output value in 2025, is expected to grow by 18.58% in the first quarter.

Steady progress in the "High-Quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns, and Villages"has enabled eastern, western and northern Guangdong to identify their own industrial pathways. They now form a complementary and coordinated industrial chain ecosystem with the Pearl River Delta. Major infrastructure projects such as the Meizhou-Longchuan High-Speed Railway and the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway are accelerating the integration of these areas into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's "two-hour economic and living circle." The Guangqing Industrial Park has been rated as a provincial A-level park, while Yunfu has established a "reverse enclave" in Foshan. Eastern, western and northern Guangdong are emerging as a natural extension of the Greater Bay Area's functions and a strategic hinterland for its industrial layout.

一季度GDP增速领跑！粤东粤西粤北何以包揽前四？| 由来是

“十五五”开局首季，粤东粤西粤北地市包揽广东GDP增速前四名——湛江、梅州、清远、云浮分别以6.8%、6.7%、6.5%、6.4%的增速领跑。长期以来珠三角“霸榜”的常态被打破，背后是一条深刻逻辑——广东区域协调发展的差距，正在实实在在地缩小。

这一成就是“工业发力、投资先行”驱动下的结果。湛江依托巴斯夫一体化基地，规上工业增加值同比增长19.7%；“与海南相向而行”重大项目也为湛江拉来超200亿元的投资。梅州凭借广梅产业园实现先进制造业增长27.7%，高技术制造业增长39.4%；2026年一季度刚开局，园区便集中动工投产一批总投资超44亿元的重点项目。清远依靠产业园区的大规模基建和鲜活的产业项目，做出了规上工业增加值增长10.3%的好成绩；仅仅一个源潭镇，就成功签约9个项目、投资总额超26亿元。云浮金属智造一季度规上总产值同比增长35.5%；现代农业2025年产值已突破千亿，一季度产值预计增长18.58%。

广东“百县千镇万村高质量发展工程”的持续推进，正是让粤东西北找到自己的产业赛道，形成与珠三角功能互补、链条协同的生态位。梅龙高铁、广湛高铁加速粤东西北融入大湾区“2小时经济生活圈”；广清产业园获评省A级园区，云浮在佛山设立“反向飞地”……粤东粤西粤北成为了大湾区功能延伸的必然方向、产业布局的战略纵深。

统筹｜ 吴江
文｜ 羊城晚报经济评论员 陈泽云
译｜郑书悦
英文审校｜曾敏