The total output value of Mazhang's private sector enterprises above designated size reached 18.13 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) in 2018, accounting for 89.68 percent of total output value of industrial enterprises above designated size in the Zhanjiang district.

Last year, the industrial added value of private enterprises above designated size in Mazhang was 4.93 billion yuan, accounting for 89.43 percent of the district's total value added of industrial enterprises above designated size.

The figures are clear evidence that Mazhang’s private sector economy is growing rapidly. It has played an important role in facilitating local economic growth, optimizing industrial structure, promoting fiscal revenue growth, expanding social employment, and maintaining social stability.

The papermaker Zhanjiang Chenming Group, as well as the aquaculture and feed giant Guangdong Evergreen Group are located in Mazhang. They have become industry leaders in Guangdong, ranking among the top 100 non-public (private) enterprises in the province.

Mazhang is also home to competitive marine biological reagents manufacturers including Zhanjiang A&C Biological Ltd and Zhanjiang Bokang Marine Biological Co Ltd. The tachypleus amebocyte lysate (TAL) produced by them enjoys a domestic market share of more than 70 percent.

A meeting was recently held to analyze the private economic development in Mazhang. Statistics show that from January to April of this year, there were 782 private economic market entities newly registered in Mazhang. The total number therefore rose to 10,752 and accounted for 96.8 percent of the total market entities in Mazhang.

According to data, Mazhang’s private economy completed a tax payment of 1.01 billion yuan in 2018, about 93.59 percent of the total tax revenue of the district. Leading enterprises, especially Zhanjiang Chenming, Guangdong ROC Cooling & Heating Equipment Co Ltd and Zhanjiang Huanlejia Foodstuff Co Ltd, made significant tax contributions in 2018, with a year-on-year increase of more than 40 percent.

By the end of 2018, Mazhang had one national key laboratory, one provincial key laboratory, four provincial enterprise technology centers, eight provincial engineering technology R&D centers, two provincial modern agricultural sci-tech innovation centers (bases), three municipal-level enterprise technology centers, five municipal-level engineering technology R&D centers, one academician workstation, and one workstation for special task forces.

Currently, Mazhang houses 24 High & New-Technology Enterprises (HNTEs), eight of which gained the qualification in 2018. The total industrial output value generated by HNTEs in the district increased 29.46 percent to reach 17.1 billion yuan last year.

A local official stated that the private sector economy has become the most dynamic and fast-growing economic growth point with the most potential in Mazhang.