Located at the border between Guangdong and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and facing Hainan province to the south, Zhanjiang's natural advantages are amplified by its geographical position and labor resources.

The provincial government's work report emphasizes that "maintaining mid and high-speed economic growth" is the most important task in 2017. To stabilize growth and ensure balance, Guangdong will invest 540 billion yuan ($78.6 billion) in key projects, especially those focusing on infrastructure construction. Investment in infrastructure is set to increase by at least 10 percent in 2017, speeding up the development of rapid transit networks, water conservation projects, information infrastructure, environmental protection infrastructure, energy projects and public services.

The relocation of Zhanjiang airport and the construction of a roll on, roll off facility at the Nanshan work zone in Zhanjiang's Xuwen Port are on the list of key projects highlighted in the government work report.

Zhanjiang's development and reform bureau revealed that work on relocation of the airport is expected to begin in the second half of this year.

The 4.3 billion yuan new airport is expected to have a passenger throughput of 4.2 million people in 2025, of which 200,000 will be foreign travelers.

Construction on the Xuwen Port project is on track to be completed by 2018. The port will connect shipping cargo directly with highways, railways and inland waterways.

On a high tide of industrial innovation, Zhanjiang firmly holds to a solid industrial base while viewing advanced management and technologies, large financial input and support, and numerous investment opportunities as key for its upgrading and development.

The three-year action plan for industrial upgrading and transformation issued by the Zhanjiang government in 2015 focused on intelligent manufacturing and green industrial development. Key tasks included introducing more quality projects and applying higher levels of information technology.

Zhanjiang's traditional industries such as aquaculture, household appliance manufacturing and sugar production were required to use first-rate equipment and systems as well as strengthen R&D capacity for more efficient production and management.

At the same time, the "three major industries" of steel, petrochemicals, and paper, are high on the government's work agenda and enjoy top priority. Bolstered by the city's success in steel and petrochemicals, Zhanjiang's port equipment manufacturing industry is set to embark on a new journey with the help of fresh investment and technology.

Two large-scale industrial projects – one led by Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron & Steel Co and the other a Sino-Kuwaiti refinery and petrochemical complex -- have located on Donghai Island in the southeast part of Zhanjiang's urban area.

Businesses are also advised to invest in emerging industries such as biomedicine, new-mode information services, and e-commerce to take advantage of their rapid development stage.

Additionally, in order to follow a novel industrial development model with Zhanjiang characteristics, and to maintain environmentally friendly economic stimulation, the city will continue to focus on and fund environmental and ecological protection.

[This English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version.]