Guangdong is located at the southernmost end of China's mainland, close to the South China Sea and adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. Up to now, more than 170,000 foreign-funded enterprises have been started across the province. Meanwhile, local enterprises' outbound investment and business have reached more than 100 countries and regions.

The southern China province has formed a sound industrial system with progressive production and processing capacity and abilities to support industrial development. Guangdong now owns nine pillar industries including electronic information, electric machinery, petrol and chemistry, textile and clothing, food and beverage, architectural materials, paper making, medicine, and automobiles.

The advanced manufacturing sector includes shipbuilding, rail transit equipment, nuclear power equipment, wind power equipment, and general-purpose aircraft production. These have sped up, forming an advanced manufacturing system integrating sea, land, and air.

Its modern service industry — including logistics, exhibitions, finance, information, and tourism — has developed vigorously; large-scale international exhibitions such as Canton Fair, CHTF, Expo Central China enjoy a reputation both at home and abroad.

During the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), Guangdong mainly cultivated and developed strategic emerging industries including new high-end electronic information ventures, new-energy automobiles, LEDs, biology, high-end equipment manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental protection, new energy and new materials.

Guangdong boasts a favorable investment environment and broad space for start-ups. It has robust infrastructure, convenient transportation, a widespread communications network, efficient port customs clearance, high-quality human resources, sound industry supporting equipment, an established financing system, and a property rights transaction market.

As cooperative frameworks have been signed between Hong Kong, Macao, and Guangdong, a world-class city cluster takes shape in the greater Pearl River Delta.

The whole province owns three special economic zones covering Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Shantou, six national-level economic and technical development zones, nine national-level high-tech industrial development zones, 17 bonded logistics supervision zones or places, 36 provincial-level industry transfer industrial zones and a batch of provincial-level development zones. It is also making efforts to improve the functions of the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone (covering areas of Nansha in Guangzhou, Qianhai and Shekou in Shenzhen, and Hengqin in Zhuhai), so as to provide diversified platforms for investors.

Source: Guangdong Business Guide 2015 (《广东投资指南2015》） released by Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province