Huizhou, a city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area located in southeastern Guangdong province, recorded the highest average annual growth rate in foreign trade import and export volume among all cities in the province during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), with growth exceeding double digits, according to a press conference held in the provincial capital of Guangzhou on December 26.
Press conference on Huizhou's achievements during China's 14th Five-Year Plan period
Huizhou is positioned as Guangdong's major new driver for advanced industry growth, attracting global investors with its promising development potential. During the five-year period, Huizhou implemented 312 major projects, with actual completed investment exceeding 620 billion yuan—2.1 times the total from the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). Key foreign-invested projects that commenced operations include the ExxonMobil Huizhou Ethylene Phase I project and the China-South Korea (Huizhou) Industrial Park.
Huizhou featured products: herbal medicinal oils, creative products themed on celebrated ancient Chinese poet Su Shi
This dynamic trade expansion has powered the city's overall economy. Huizhou's GDP surpassed the 600-billion-yuan threshold during this period, with its average annual growth rate for the first four years of the 14th Five-Year Plan standing at 6.3%, enabling the city to meet its total economic output target one year ahead of schedule.
Foreign investments are drawn to Huizhou's solid industrial foundation. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, industry contributed 88.9% of the city’s GDP growth. The added value of large-scale industries grew at an average annual rate of 8.8%, the fastest pace in Guangdong. Among them, Huizhou’s petrochemical industry leads the province in scale, while its electronic information sector ranks third, with output in both sectors exceeding 100 billion yuan.
Also hailed as the "Outdoor Sports Capital of South China," Huizhou is blessed with mountainous and coastal landscapes. Significant progress was made in cultural and tourism infrastructure during the 14th Five-Year Plan.
Huizhou is also well-known for outdoors skateboarding
For example, the city constructed the scenic "218 Most Beautiful Tourism Highway" along its Nankun Mountain-Luofu Mountain rim, which was selected as one of the country's first high-quality outdoor sports destinations. By 2025, the city had organized over 100 sporting events, including cycling, cross-country racing, and drone competitions in the Nankun Mountain-Luofu Mountain rim.
"218 Most Beautiful Tourism Highway" in Huizhou’s Nankun Mountain-Luofu Mountain rim
Reporter | Huang Xinyi
Photo | Huang Xinyi, Nanfang Plus
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
