GBA Briefs

Hong Kong:?HK's economy grows 3.1%year-on-year in first quarter

Hong Kong's economy expanded by 3.1 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, marking the fastest growth in five quarters, driven by a surge in goods exports, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

The growth accelerated by 0.6 percentage points compared to the 2.5 percent growth in the preceding quarter and outperformed the market forecast of around 2.1 percent.

Macao:?Macao sees 22.9% surge in cross-border vehicle trips in Q1

Macao recorded 2.56 million cross-border vehicle trips in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 22.9 percent year-on-year increase, according to the city's Statistics and Census Service.

Notably, trips by Macao single-plated vehicles entering and leaving Hengqin surged by 45 percent year-on-year to 486,000, while journeys under the Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles program rose 16 percent to 399,000. Cross-border passenger trips by ferry increased slightly by 1 percent to 19,988, and commercial flights at Macao International Airport grew by 2.4 percent to 13,621 compared to the same period last year.

Guangzhou:?Labor Day sees 11.9m visitor trips and 14.2% increase in spending

During the Labor Day holiday from May 1-5, Guangzhou saw nearly 11.9 million visitor trips, generating 12.1 billion yuan ($1.67 billion) in cultural tourism spending, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.8 percent in visitors and 14.2 percent in spending.

The recent shift in China's tax-refund policy - from refund-on-departure to refund-on-purchase - has significantly boosted foreign tourist consumption, especially at the 137th Canton Fair. Since the fair opened on April 15, the daily number of tax refund applications processed in Guangzhou has surged by 168 percent year-on-year, hitting an all-time high.

Shenzhen:?Q1 investments reach 77b yuan, achieving 25% of annual target

Shenzhen has racked up 77 billion yuan ($10.66 billion) for major project investments in the first quarter, achieving 25 percent of its annual target.

Industrial investment rose by 1.4 percent year-on-year, with spending on technology upgrades surging by more than 60 percent, fueled by equipment upgrading policies. Such investment now makes up nearly 40 percent of total industrial spending. Moreover, 2,342 enterprises funded by overseas investment have opened in Shenzhen in the first quarter, a 23.4 percent jump from last year.

Zhuhai:?City to launch inaugural tech forum to boost innovation

Zhuhai aims to strengthen its technological innovation capability with its inaugural tech investment and trade forum opening on May 30 in the city's high-tech industrial development zone.

The forum will feature four special zones - one for research and development breakthroughs made by Hong Kong universities, another for Macao, a commercialization section for Chinese mainland schools and research institutes, and an interactive experience area. The event will highlight over 100 ready-to-market research findings.

Foshan:?Foshan to build 4-billion-yuan electric power equipment park

An electric power equipment industrial park is set to be established in Foshan, following a 4-billion-yuan ($553.6 million) investment agreement signed on April 27 between the Foshan government and Shanghai Electric Group, a leader in China's electric power industry. The city prioritizes the development of new electric power equipment and views this agreement as crucial for fostering emerging industries and enhancing productivity.

So far this year, Foshan has attracted 16 new projects in the power system equipment sector, with a total investment exceeding 14.5 billion yuan.

Huizhou:?Consumption promotion event drives market vitality for holiday

To stimulate the vitality of the consumer market during the Labor Day holiday, the Huizhou government held a consumption promotion event on April 30, with assistance from the city's financial institutions.

Focusing on payment, loan and other dimensions in the consumer market, the event attracted 13 financial institutions and more than 50 enterprises and merchants, during which nine banks granted credit of 1.17 billion yuan ($161.9 million) to 13 enterprises.

Dongguan:?Logistics park processes 24,000 metric tons of cargo in 2 years

The Dongguan-Hong Kong International Airport Logistics Park has efficiently processed 24,000 metric tons of cargo valued at 24 billion yuan ($3.32 billion) over the past two years, servicing 48 countries since its inauguration.

Utilizing an air-sea intermodal transshipment model, the park allows cargo from the Chinese mainland to undergo security screenings and customs clearance in Dongguan before being shipped to Hong Kong International Airport. This innovative approach saves freight forwarders about 1 yuan per kilogram and reduces delivery times to as short as 14 hours.

Zhongshan:?Auto show sees more than 1,000 new cars sold in 3 days

The eighth Zhongshan auto show was held from May 1-3, with more than 1,000 new automobiles sold during the fair, the organizers said.

The enthusiasm for car purchasing at the event can be attributed to the large government subsidies, numerous new car products, and limited-time car purchase discounts offered by exhibitors.

The exhibition hall of the fair covered an area of about 15,500 square meters, bringing together nearly 30 brands and more than 60 automobile companies, including BYD, Xiaomi Automobile and NIO.

Jiangmen:?City showcases innovation with largest delegation at Canton Fair

Jiangmen has intensified its efforts to leverage major trade fairs for showcasing innovative products and attracting global partners. At the recent 137th Canton Fair, Jiangmen sent its largest delegation yet, with 303 companies occupying 763 booths in key sectors such as home appliances, motorcycles, and lighting. Notably, over half of the exhibitors were national high-tech firms or "little giants" - small, specialized, and innovative companies.

International buyers were invited to Jiangmen's public motorcycle test ground, the first of its kind in Guangdong province, allowing them to test-ride bikes and experience the city's motorcycle sector firsthand.

Zhaoqing:?Q1 output value tops $13.26b amid digital transformation

The total industrial output value of 1,823 enterprises above designated size in Zhaoqing reached 95.78 billion yuan ($13.26 billion) in the first quarter of 2025, with a growth rate of 4.4 percent and an increase of 5.6 percent in industrial added value, ranking fourth in Guangdong province.

The city's advanced manufacturing output surged 18 percent, and high-tech manufacturing investment jumped 17.7 percent. The digital transformation of local enterprises is also accelerating. A total of 131 small and medium-sized enterprises had been advancing digital transformation as of late March, while 715 digital products and services had been released.