Baiyun district of Guangzhou released the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for National Economic and Social Development on July 3, outlining a comprehensive roadmap for the district's development over the next five years.

The plan sets an ambitious goal of achieving an annual GDP growth rate of 5.5 percent, with the total economic output reaching 430 billion yuan ($63.20 billion) by 2030.

Looking ahead to 2035, it aims to double its 2023 economic output to exceed 600 billion yuan, building itself into an international gateway and a smart, eco-friendly urban area to support Guangzhou and, by extension, Guangdong province in spearheading Chinese-style modernization.

Baiyun district. [Photo/WeChat account: gz_baiyunfabu]

Other headline targets include reaching 175 billion yuan in gross output of industrial enterprises above the designated size — those with annual main business revenue of 20 million yuan or more — and raising R&D expenditure to 3 percent of GDP. Annual growth in total retail sales of consumer goods will reach 5 percent.

To support people's livelihoods and social welfare, 26,700 new public basic education seats will be added, and the average life expectancy is expected to reach 84 years.

For the first time, the plan dedicates an entire chapter to the vision of building an "Eastern Hills, Western Waters, Southern City, Northern Port" spatial framework. This marks a strategic shift from expansion-driven growth to high-quality, connotative development, with urban renewal as a key driver, including upgrading old factories, vitalizing village industrial clusters, and advancing smart city governance.