Chao'an District in Chaozhou City has outlined ambitious economic development goals. On February 24, the first working day following the Lunar New Year holiday, Guangdong Province convened a high-quality development conference, emphasizing coordinated growth between the manufacturing and service sectors. At the conference, Cao Yubo, Party Secretary of Chao'an District, reported that as a major industrial hub, Chao'an achieved a GDP exceeding 72 billion yuan in 2025, with a growth rate of 4.8%. The district's economic output has ranked first among counties and districts in Eastern Guangdong for three consecutive years, with manufacturing value-added contributing 52.8% to GDP growth.
In terms of enhancing specialized industries, Chao'an has collaborated with Zhongshan to develop ceramic lighting products, creating innovative items that blend ceramics with light. The district's output of smart sanitary ware exceeded 5 million units, the highest in China. It was selected as one of the province's first pilot counties for nurturing the food industry, and its candy exports ranked first in Guangdong. Regarding new growth drivers, Chao'an has commissioned China's first commercial 300 kW solid oxide fuel cell power generation project. Its ceramic ferrule for optical communication received the national title of "Manufacturing Single Champion." The number of industrial enterprises above a designated size has increased by over 100 annually for three years.
In service sector upgrades, Chao'an launched the country's first quality traceability platform for the smart sanitary ware production area. The district leads the nation in the number of 3C certifications for smart toilet manufacturers. Local exhibitions, such as the "Chaozhou Food Fair," have generated cumulative intended orders exceeding 50 billion yuan. Cross-border e-commerce transaction volume grew by 33%, while export value increased by 5%.
Cao Yubo emphasized that Chao'an will deepen its industrial foundation, develop new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, and promote coordinated development between manufacturing and services through "three transformations and three innovations," enabling traditional industries to rejuvenate and new industries to take root firmly.
First, industrial transformation will open new space for coordinated manufacturing-service development. Chao'an will focus on chain-driven growth, implementing initiatives to enhance the quality and efficiency of smart sanitary ware. It will actively attract projects that strengthen and extend supply chains in areas like smart sanitary ware and electronic information, building a full industrial chain centered on smart toilet covers. Leveraging Chaozhou's designation as a "World Gourmet City," it will guide the food industry toward healthier, functional upgrades. Through park-driven development, it will upgrade inefficient industrial parks in towns and villages, creating specialized zones for smart sanitary ware, stainless steel, and packaging and printing via a 15-billion-yuan "industrial upward expansion" project, using park economies to strengthen industrial clusters. Collaborative linkage will be enhanced by amplifying the effects of the Luohu-Chao'an cooperative industrial park and the "reverse flyover" model of Chuangxiang Island, promoting a "Shenzhen R&D + Chaozhou production" approach.
Second, new quality transformation will forge new engines for manufacturing-service synergy. Chao'an will emphasize digital and intelligent empowerment, implementing major sci-tech projects related to AI applications and building benchmark digital parks. Demonstration projects, such as Sanhuan Group's AI visual inspection and Hangpai Industrial's 10-gigabit PON network, will lead the comprehensive integration of AI into traditional industries. Brand empowerment will be strengthened through a "three-brand co-creation" initiative covering regional, corporate, and product brands. Service empowerment will be advanced via mechanisms including comprehensive enterprise liaison by leadership, full-lifecycle services, open application for industrial land, and "enterprise tranquility days," aiming to create a first-class business environment.
Third, functional leapfrogging will pioneer new frontiers in manufacturing-service integration. Chao'an will drive industrial renewal by focusing on electronic ceramics, advanced ceramic materials, biopharmaceuticals, and health industries, striving to cultivate an additional 10-billion-yuan emerging industrial cluster and nurturing future industries based on local conditions. It will promote trade to boost industry, aligning with Chaozhou's goal of becoming a gateway connecting the Greater Bay Area and expanding maritime links. This includes constructing the Chaoshan Station International Trade City, developing exhibition economy through "front exhibition, back factory" models, hosting specialized events to promote Guangdong products globally, collaborating with Kashgar to build industrial parks for markets in Belt and Road Initiative partner countries, and expanding overseas warehouses through "cross-border e-commerce + industrial belt" synergies. Business format integration will be enhanced by aligning with Chaozhou's development as a tourism-consumption-oriented light industrial city, creating a "Candy Town" to grow the sweet economy, better linking specialty products with cultural tourism IPs, and deepening the integration between a city of quality industries and a city of intangible cultural heritage living.