A press conference is held on June 28, briefing attendees on Nanning's achievements. [Photo by Chen Siyu/Guangxi Daily]

Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, ranked among the top 50 cities in terms of economic development in the Chinese mainland by the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), officials said during a press conference held on June 28.

Striving to become a leading player in the high-quality development of the region as a whole, Nanning saw its gross domestic product and per capita disposable income double from 2010 to 2019, one year earlier than scheduled.

The proportion of Nanning's regional GDP to Guangxi's total increased from 20.3 percent in 2015 to 21.3 percent in 2020, while its fiscal revenue accounted for 28.4 percent of the region's total, up from the previous 24.5 percent in 2015. 

By 2020, Nanning had 32 national innovative platforms and was home to 41.1 percent of the region's high-tech companies.

The output value of industrial companies above designated scale in three major industries, namely electronic information, advanced equipment manufacturing and biological medicine, accounted for 38.8 percent of the city's total in 2020.

The city has been pushing forward construction of a core area of the ASEAN open financial gateway in Nanning. To date, the China-ASEAN Financial Town has welcomed 222 financial institutions and companies.

Cooperation between Nanning and countries and regions alongside the Belt and Road, especially ASEAN countries, has been deepened in recent years. Nanning's imports and exports in 2020 reached 98.6 billion yuan ($15.3 billion), with an average annual growth of 22 percent over the past five years.

The city has also seen strong results in attracting State-owned companies, private companies, and Greater Bay Area companies, welcoming 203 projects with an overall investment of 352 billion yuan to date this year.

Efforts have also been made to promote green development and improve people's livelihood. The city has put 105 new public primary and middle schools into operation, providing educational opportunities for 178,600 additional students.