In an interview on October 21, 2023, Wang Xiongchang, the Mayor of Qinzhou, highlighted the significant transformations that have occurred in the city over the past 30 years since its establishment as a municipality. “The transition from a port-less coastal area to a thriving urban center is extraordinary,” he noted during a press conference in Nanning. The city’s GDP skyrocketed from 7.012 billion RMB in 1994 to an impressive 196.129 billion RMB by 2023, marking a staggering 28-fold increase and an average annual growth rate of 9.9%.
Mayor Wang reminisced about the pivotal moment in 1994 when Qinzhou finally saw the completion of its two ten-thousand-ton berths, effectively ending the era of “having the sea without a port.” He described how, over the last three decades, Qinzhou Port has evolved into a large facility capable of accommodating 300,000-ton oil tankers and 200,000-ton container ships. Currently, 70 container shipping routes connect Qinzhou to 518 ports across 124 countries and regions. The port’s cargo throughput soared from 122,000 tons in 1994 to over 100 million tons in 2018, with expectations to exceed 200 million tons this year.
The growth of high-capacity shipping infrastructure has catalyzed rapid industrial development in the area. Major global and domestic corporations have established a presence in Qinzhou, which has fostered a cluster-based growth model for key industries. The green chemical sector has created an unprecedented “oil, coal, gas, and salt” integrated petrochemical industry, making Qinzhou’s petrochemical park the first in Southwest China to achieve a value of over 100 billion RMB. “The synergy between our large ports and industrial facilities is driving the growth of a robust maritime economy,” emphasized Wang.
Currently, the output value of Qinzhou’s port-based industries reaches 150 billion RMB, with ten major industrial projects under construction, totaling an investment of over 280 billion RMB. “We’ve successfully transformed from a traditional agricultural city to a dynamic industrial hub,” Wang asserted.
Qinzhou also plays a vital role as a crucial node in the new western land-sea corridor. Products like rice from Cambodia, mangosteen from Thailand, and durian from Malaysia are now entering the Chinese market through the port’s sea-rail intermodal services. Conversely, China’s new energy vehicles, advanced materials, and electromechanical products are being exported to international markets.
The city is continuously expanding its sea-rail intermodal network, which connects 73 cities and 156 stations across 18 provinces in Southwest, Central, and Northern China. Wang pointed out that Qinzhou is strengthening its internal and external trade container shipping routes to achieve complete global port connectivity.
In terms of foreign trade cooperation, Qinzhou is leveraging national-level development platforms such as the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park and the Guangxi Pilot Free Trade Zone to build cross-border supply chains for ASEAN specialty products, including bird’s nest, durian, palm oil, and recycled aluminum. The port’s capabilities are being enhanced to accommodate a wholesale trading platform for bulk commodities in the Beibu Gulf region, along with the establishment of the China-ASEAN (Qinzhou) fruit trading center and the first silicon manganese alloy delivery warehouse in Southern China.
Official statistics reveal that Qinzhou’s foreign trade exports soared from just $3.2 million in 1994 to an impressive $10.81 billion in 2023, representing a staggering 337.8-fold increase.
“The construction of the Panlu Canal, China’s first century project connecting rivers to the sea, is currently in full swing,” Wang added. “Qinzhou is dedicated to supporting and ensuring the timely completion of the canal, allowing 5,000-ton river-sea direct vessels to travel directly from the Xijiang River ports to coastal ports in China and key ports in Southeast Asia, further enhancing our connectivity with both domestic and international markets.”
