The foreign trade value of the nine mainland cities in south China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) hit 1.29 trillion yuan (about 178.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months of 2025, customs data showed.
The GBA consists of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR), as well as nine cities in Guangdong Province, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing.
In the first two months of this year, the exports of China's "new three" items in these cities, namely electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products, reached 22.89 billion yuan (about 3.2 billion U.S. dollars), marking a year-on-year increase of 30.7 percent.
Moreover, the exports of major goods including automatic data processing equipment and components, electrical equipment, and home appliances increased by 16.9 percent, 4.5 percent, and 3.5 percent, respectively, in the two-month period.
Notably, Guangdong is a major province of China's home appliance manufacturing and export, with its products becoming increasingly competitive in the global market.
A home appliance company in Foshan, one of the GBA mainland nine cities, has been striving for breakthroughs with continuous investment in research and development, and now holds over 2,300 patents.
"We have independently developed gas ovens and other home appliances suitable for outdoor camping, based on the demands of the overseas market. In January and February, the export value of our home appliances increased by 21 percent year on year," said Chen Bin, head of the company.
Mainland cities in Greater Bay Area see booming foreign trade volume in first 2 months
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi outlined five key points for the proper resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue during his meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in Beijing on Friday.
The Russian and Iranian deputy foreign ministers were in Beijing to attend a meeting chaired by Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu on the same day. Following the meeting, China, Russia, and Iran jointly issued a statement reaffirming that political and diplomatic engagement, along with dialogue, remains the only viable and practical approach to addressing the Iranian nuclear issue.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, described the meeting and its outcome as an important step in the right direction.
Unilateral sanctions will only escalate tensions, while dialogue remains the only viable solution, Wang emphasized.
Wang's five-point proposition is as follows:
First, stay committed to peaceful settlement of disputes through political and diplomatic means, and oppose the use of force and illegal sanctions.
Second, stay committed to balancing rights and responsibilities, and take a holistic approach to the goals of nuclear nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Third, stay committed to the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as the basis for new consensus.
Fourth, stay committed to promoting cooperation through dialogue, and oppose pressing for intervention by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Fifth, stay committed to a step-by-step and reciprocal approach, and seek consensus through consultation.
Ryabkov and Gharibabadi expressed their gratitude to China for hosting the meeting, commended its constructive role, and reaffirmed their commitment to continued dialogue and cooperation on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Chinese FM proposes five points on proper settlement of Iranian nuclear issue