It aims to build a modern industrial system, become a cultural soft power

South China's Guangdong province pledged to build a modern industrial system that leverages the province's unique characteristics and advantages, and boasts strong competitiveness through scientific and technological innovation in the coming five years.

Governor Meng Fanli outlined his province's development ambition for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30) at a news conference in the provincial capital of Guangzhou on Tuesday. Meng said building a modern industrial system must be guided by scientific and technological innovation. He urged relevant cities and departments to rely on scientific and technological innovation to accelerate the cultivation and development of new quality productive forces, which will help drive the development of a modern industrial system that keeps pace with the times.

Meng said Guangdong, China's economic powerhouse and a global innovation hub, will be able to achieve a substantial upgrade in its scientific and technological innovation capacity in five years.

"An integrated development pattern of education, science and technology, and talent will be basically established, while the province's annual average growth of the whole society's R&D investment will reach 5 percent, and the role of innovation-driven development will be significantly strengthened," he said.

According to the governor, Guangdong's regional GDP will be able to achieve an average annual growth of around 5 percent, with major breakthroughs made in fostering new quality productive forces, serving and integrating into the new development paradigm, and developing a modern economic system in the coming five-year period.

The province's GDP rose from 11.37 trillion yuan ($1.67 trillion) in 2021 to 14.58 trillion yuan in 2025, ranking first nationwide for 37 consecutive years.

Meng said other major indicators have also achieved solid growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25). This includes the operating income of industrial enterprises above designated size reaching 19.34 trillion yuan; total import and export volume hitting 9.49 trillion yuan; local general public budget revenue standing at 1.39 trillion yuan; and the number of market entities in stock exceeding 22 million.

Meng also highlighted how the province's per capita disposable income of residents rose by 30.8 percent over the past five years.

"All these indicators rank first across the country," he said.

Guangdong's regional innovation capability has topped the nation for nine consecutive years, and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster has risen to the first place worldwide, he said.