During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), Zhanjiang made marked achievements in developing itself into a more prominent economic power in South China's Guangdong province and a key player in the province's coastal economic belt.

In 2020, the city's GDP was estimated at more than 310 billion yuan ($47.47 billion). The average annual growth rate was 5.1 percent during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Zhanjiang's per capita GDP was 43,000 yuan in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 4.7 percent over the past five years.

In the same period, Zhanjiang's investment in fixed assets exceeded 110 billion yuan in 2020 with an average annual growth rate of 4.4 percent. The general public budget revenue was 13.58 billion yuan last year, with an average annual growth rate of 2.2 percent.

"We have accelerated the establishment of a modern industrial system and witnessed high-quality development in the past five years," said Zheng Renhao, Party secretary of Zhanjiang.

"We have spared no effort in developing a modern port-neighboring industry during the past five years… and Zhanjiang is becoming a major destination in South China to promote high-quality development," Zheng said.

The Loong Bay International Ocean Resort in Zhanjiang is a 4A-level national scenic spot. CHINA DAILY

Major projects, including new blast furnaces for Baosteel Group and a refining project for Sinopec, have been put into operation in Zhanjiang over the past five years.

"We have also promoted the development of distinctive industries," Zheng said.

Over the past five years, 15 modern agricultural industrial parks in the city were approved to become national-level and provincial-level. A total of 26 agricultural products entered the category of the nation's famous agricultural products, ranking the city top in Guangdong.

Zhanjiang has also upgraded its tourism infrastructure. It has put into operation Texas Water World－the largest coastal water park in Guangdong province.

Tourism revenue in the city increased from 35 billion yuan in 2016 to 60.12 billion yuan in 2019, according to Zheng.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the number of high-tech companies in Zhanjiang reached 290, seven times more than that of the previous five years.

"We have deepened the implementation of innovation-driven development," Zheng said.

In 2020, these high-tech companies generated an output value of 80 billion yuan. The Zhanjiang high-tech industrial development zone was approved to upgrade into a national-level zone in 2018, and the city's marine science and engineering laboratory base has launched nine scientific research projects.

With constant efforts in terms of the city's infrastructure construction, Zhanjiang has seen rapid development in its modern transportation network, Zheng said.

In the past five years, Zhanjiang invested 70 billion yuan in its transportation infrastructure, 2.6 times more than during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-15).