Jiang Jianjun, mayor of Zhanjiang, delivered the government work report during the 4th Session of the 14th Zhanjiang Municipal People's Congress on Jan 17, 2018, reviewing the progress that was made over the last year and setting goals for the next.

According to Jiang, Zhanjiang has made steady progress in developing local economy and improving people's livelihood. Its GDP was estimated at 285 billion yuan ($44.3 billion) for 2017, a year-on-year increase of 7.7 percent.

The city's added value of industries above designated size increased by 9 percent to 83.3 billion yuan. Total retail sales of consumer goods surpassed 157.9 billion yuan at a jump of 10.2 percent, as the total import-export volume grew by 10 percent to 34 billion yuan.

In the meantime, Zhanjiang also invested 164.2 billion yuan into fixed assets, an increase of 7.2 percent from the previous year. The paid-in value of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the city increased by 32 percent to hit $80.95 million.

Also on the rise were general public revenues and the per capita disposable income of Zhanjiang residents, which increased by 21 and 9.3 percent to reach 13.5 billion yuan and 19,596 yuan respectively. The registered urban unemployment rate was kept below 3.5 percent.

Zhanjiang, which is positioned as a pilot city along the Belt & Road Initiative and a sub-center city of Guangdong province, will make the most of its geographical advantages as a southern coastal city and further extend its scale of opening-up.

In the new era, Zhanjiang will continue to press ahead with the modernization of transportation and transformation of its industrial structure. By focusing on innovation-driven development, the city will be able to foster economic development without compromising the environment.

Issues related to agriculture and rural areas are still a top concern for the government. In 2018, Zhanjiang will further implement new-type urbanization and countryside revitalization strategies to increase rural income, eliminate poverty and reduce disparities in urban-rural development.

It is estimated that Zhanjiang's GDP will grow by 7.5 percent or even 8 percent in 2018. The added value of industries above designated size and fixed-asset investment should increase by 9 and 10 percent respectively. The total export-import volume is set to witness a ride of 7 percent.