The 15th Five-Year Plan of Beihai, Guangxi: Blueprint for Transformation from a "Tourism City" to an "International Portal"

Preface

As an important coastal open city in southwest China, the preparation of its "15th Five-Year Plan" (2026-2030) is not only related to regional economic revitalization, but also carries the strategic mission of deepening China-ASEAN cooperation and serving the "Belt and Road" initiative. This article is based on authoritative information and public data officially released by Beihai City, and systematically sorts out the progress, development foundation, major projects and future goals of the planning, providing comprehensive reference for all walks of life.

1. Overview of the basic situation in Beihai City

(I) Location and resource endowment

Beihai City is located at the southern end of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and borders the Beibu Gulf. It is one of the most convenient sea access channels in southwest China. Its core advantages include:

- Port economy: It has North Sea Port, with a cargo throughput of 120 million tons in 2024, and a container throughput exceeding 1 million TEUs, and is open to navigation with more than 90 countries and regions around the world.

- Open platform: National platforms such as Beihai Export Processing Zone and Beihai National High-tech Industrial Development Zone have superimposed policy dividends and are deeply integrated into the construction of the Western Land-Sea New Channel.

- Ecological resources: Yintan, Weizhou Island and other tourism resources are well-known worldwide, with a forest coverage rate of 30.04%, and a good water quality rate of 96.3% in coastal waters. The ecological environment continues to lead the country.

(II) Current status of population and economic development

1. Population size:

- Permanent population: As of the end of 2024, the permanent population of Beihai City reached 1.9017 million, with an urbanization rate of 61.52%.

- Registered population: The registered population in 2024 is 1.85 million, ranking 13th in Guangxi.

2. Total economic volume:

- In 2024, the city's GDP reached 187.896 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%, ranking among the top in Guangxi.

- Per capita GDP exceeded 98,000 yuan, the three-industry structure was optimized to 14.7:47.0:38.3, and the industry contributed more than 50% to economic growth.

(III) Main industries

Beihai has formed a diversified pattern of "six major leading industries emerging industries":

1. Green chemical industry: The annual output value of leading enterprises such as Sinopec Beihai Refining and Chemical Corporation and Guangxi Beigang New Materials exceeded 50 billion yuan, and the added value of non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing industry increased by 36.1% in 2024.

2. Electronic Information: Huike Electronics, Guanjie Technology and other enterprises have formed a trillion-level industrial cluster, with output value exceeding 120 billion yuan in 2023, accounting for half of Guangxi's electronic information industry.

3. Silicon-based new materials: Tieshandong Port Industrial Park gathers enterprises such as Xinfuxing and Nanjiao, and has built 18 photovoltaic glass production lines, ranking third in the country in terms of production capacity. The added value of the non-metallic mineral products industry increased by 15.4% in 2024.

4. High-end paper industry: Sun Paper, Nine Dragons Paper and other projects were fully put into production. The added value of the paper and paper products industry increased by 42.8% in 2024, becoming an important integrated forest, pulp and paper base in the country.

5. Stainless steel: Guangxi Beigang New Materials has achieved 1.4mm ultra-thin stainless steel production, and the order production cycle is shortened to 12 days in 2023, with an annual output value exceeding 30 billion yuan.

6. Energy industry: Hongsha nuclear power, offshore wind power and other clean energy installed capacity account for more than 40%, and investment in power, heat production and supply industries increased by 147.4% in 2024.

7. Emerging industries: industries such as marine engineering equipment manufacturing (Huadian Lanshui 3.5 billion yuan project) and ecological aluminum (Guangdong Investment 50 billion yuan project) are accelerating their rise, and the output value of strategic emerging industries will account for 35% in 2024.

2. Progress and core ideas for the preparation of the 15th Five-Year Plan

(I) Progress of preparation work

1. Top-level design launch: In July 2025, the China Institute of Macroeconomics went to Beihai to investigate the "15th Five-Year Plan", emphasizing "strengthen the sea chart and open development", focusing on serving the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone 3.0 version.

2. Process and stage: The planning is divided into four stages. The final draft is expected to be completed in November 2025, and special plans such as water safety guarantee and modern service industries will be promoted simultaneously.

3. Public participation mechanism: Solicit opinions widely through expert seminars, enterprise seminars, etc., focusing on absorbing suggestions in areas such as new energy and cross-border logistics.

(II) Strategic positioning and core direction

1. National strategic fulcrum: Strengthen the positioning of "a sea-to-sea economic benchmark city" and "China-ASEAN Open Cooperation Portal" to build an important international logistics hub in the southwest region.

2. Industrial upgrading path: Promote the intelligent transformation of traditional industries, focus on the development of future industries such as offshore wind power, hydrogen energy, and low-altitude economy, and build a Beibu Gulf clean energy base.

3. Regional coordinated development: Deepen linkage with cities such as Nanning and Zhanjiang, rely on the Pinglu Canal to open up river-sea transport channels, and strengthen industrial cooperation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

3. Investment projects and budgets for major projects

(I) Transportation infrastructure (total investment is about 50 billion yuan)

1. Port energy level improvement:

- Expansion of the 300,000-ton channel of Tieshan Port: 12 billion yuan will be invested to improve the throughput capacity of bulk materials such as ore and crude oil after completion in 2027, and reduce logistics costs by more than 15%.

- Expansion of Beihai Cruise Home Port: 8 billion yuan investment, add two new 100,000-ton berths, with a target of receiving more than 2 million tourists by 2030.

2. Cross-border channel construction:

- Hezhan High-speed Railway: The total investment is 25.7 billion yuan, with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour. After opening to traffic in 2026, it will achieve half an hour direct access from Beihai to Zhanjiang, strengthening the connection with the Greater Bay Area.

- Beihai Section of Guangxi Binhai Highway: 15 billion yuan is invested to connect Tieshan Port, Yintan and other nodes to form a "Coastal Economic Corridor".

3. Logistics hub construction:

- Beibu Gulf International Cold Chain Logistics Center: Invest 7 billion yuan, and after completion, it will process 3 million tons of fresh goods, radiating to the southwest and ASEAN markets.

(II) Industrial upgrading project (total investment is about 250 billion yuan)

1. Green industrial cluster:

- Guangxi Beigang New Material Stainless Steel Base Phase II: Invest 20 billion yuan to build a 1.2mm ultra-thin stainless steel production line, and 70% of the products are exported to Southeast Asia.

- Oriental Hope Aluminum-based Materials Project: Invest 16.5 billion yuan to form an annual output of 1 million tons of ecological aluminum production capacity, and build a recycled aluminum circulation system.

2. Clean energy development:

- Offshore wind power and hydrogen energy integration project: a total investment of 50 billion yuan, a planned installed capacity of 5GW, and a supporting hydrogen energy preparation base. Hydrogen power generation accounts for 10% in 2030.

- Hongsha Nuclear Power Unit 5-6: 60 billion yuan is invested, the proportion of nuclear power installed capacity will increase to 30% in 2030, and the annual emissions of 20 million tons of carbon dioxide will be reduced.

3. Cultivation of emerging industries:

- Huadian Lanshui Marine Energy Equipment Manufacturing Phase II: Invest 5 billion yuan to build an offshore wind power equipment industrial park, attract upstream and downstream enterprises such as CRRC to settle in, and form a tens of billions of industrial clusters.

- Beihai Low-altitude Economic Industrial Park: Invest 10 billion yuan, and lay out drone research and development, aviation logistics and other fields, with a target output value of over 20 billion yuan in 2030.

(III) Open cooperation platform (total investment is about 30 billion yuan)

1. Beihai International Medical Open Pilot Zone: Invest 8 billion yuan to build a cross-border medical center and a biopharmaceutical industrial park, and plans to serve more than 100,000 ASEAN patients in 2028.

2. Beihai-Haidian Cross-border Cooperation Zone: Invest 15 billion yuan, pilot the "front store and back factory" model, promote the "Greater Bay Area R&D Beihai Manufacturing Vietnam Assembly" chain, with an import and export value target of 20 billion yuan in 2028.

(IV) Social and People's Livelihood Project (total investment is about 20 billion yuan)

1. Educational and medical care: Beihai First People's Hospital ASEAN Campus (2 billion yuan), Beihai International Medical Vocational College (1.5 billion yuan), and other projects to improve public service capabilities.

2. Ecological protection: mangrove restoration project (3 billion yuan), and Qingzhou Island ecological tourism upgrade (5 billion yuan), with the target forest coverage rate stable at more than 30% by 2030.

(V) Estimation of the total investment budget of the 15th Five-Year Plan

Based on the scale of investments that have been disclosed, it is initially estimated that the total investment of major projects in Beihai during the 15th Five-Year Plan period is about 350 billion yuan, of which:

- Transportation infrastructure accounts for 14.3% (50 billion yuan)

- Industrial upgrading projects account for 71.4% (250 billion yuan)

- Open cooperation platforms account for 8.6% (30 billion yuan)

- Social and people's livelihood projects account for 5.7% (20 billion yuan)

It should be noted that the above data is based on the estimated value of public projects, and the actual total investment shall be subject to the official "15th Five-Year Plan" outline.

4. Planning objectives and promotion steps

(I) Core development goals

1. Economic indicators:

- In 2030, GDP exceeded 300 billion yuan, with an average annual growth of 7.0%-7.5%, and per capita GDP reached 150,000 yuan.

- The output value of strategic emerging industries accounts for more than 45%, and the number of high-tech enterprises exceeds 500.

2. Open energy level:

- The total foreign trade import and export volume exceeded 300 billion yuan, the proportion of trade with ASEAN increased to 60%, and the average annual growth of cross-border e-commerce transaction volume was 30%.

- The number of rail-sea intermodal transport containers in the new Western Land-Sea Corridor exceeded 800,000 TEUs, and Beihai Port ranked among the top 80 ports in the world.

3. Green transformation:

- Energy consumption per unit GDP decreased by 15%, clean energy consumption accounted for more than 50%, and the excellent water quality rate in nearshore waters was stable at more than 96%.

(II) Implementation path and phase division

1. 2026-2027 (the key period):

- Complete the preliminary work of projects such as Hezhan High-speed Railway and Tieshan Port 300,000-ton waterway, and start the first phase of offshore wind power construction.

- The "Special Policy for Ocean Economy" has been issued to provide a maximum freight subsidy of 30% to cross-border logistics companies.

2. 2028-2029 (Advancement Period):

- The industrial clusters such as silicon steel and offshore wind power equipment for new energy vehicles have formed a scale, with more than 150 new industrial enterprises above the designated size.

- The China-ASEAN commodity trading center was built, and the cross-border RMB settlement volume increased by 20% annually.

3. 2030 (sprint period):

- Fully realize the goals of the 15th Five-Year Plan and initially build a modern port-side industrial city and an international coastal tourism city.

- The cargo throughput of Beihai Port exceeded 200 million tons, becoming the international gateway port of Beibu Gulf.

5. Construction of a bridgehead for ASEAN cooperation

(I) Cross-border industrial cooperation

1. China-Vietnam cross-border industrial chain:

- Pilot the "bonded processing cross-border e-commerce" model in the Beihai-Haidang Cross-border Cooperation Zone. In 2024, 30 companies have settled in, with an export volume of over 2 billion yuan.

- Co-built an "enclave park" with Vietnam, focusing on the development of electronic assembly and agricultural product processing. It is expected to be put into production in 2027, with an annual output value of 5 billion yuan.

2. Trade facilitation innovation:

- Beihai Port has implemented the "smart customs clearance" model, and the customs clearance time for goods is shortened to within 4 hours, and the cross-border RMB settlement volume in 2024 increased by 40%.

- Establish a China-ASEAN cross-border data center to provide cross-border e-commerce, financial settlement and other data services, and will be launched in 2027.

(II) Cultural exchanges and scientific and technological cooperation

1. Educational and medical cooperation:

- Co-built the "Xianghai Economics College" with ASEAN universities to target the cultivation of professional talents such as cross-border logistics and international finance. The first batch of 500 students will be recruited in 2024.

- China - Vietnam's Overseas Chinese Medicine Center is located in Beihai, and plans to set up three medical sites in Vietnam by 2026.

2. Digital and Aerospace Cooperation:

- It is planned to build Beibu Gulf Constellation and Guangxi-ASEAN data base to promote the application of satellite remote sensing technology in ASEAN agriculture and disaster prevention fields.

- Demonstrate on the construction of my country's first commercial aerospace launch-recovery field and explore the new model of "aerospace cross-border e-commerce".

6. Expert suggestions and think tank views

(I) Recommendations from regional economic experts

1. Strengthen the resilience of the industrial chain: It is recommended to rely on Beihai electronic information, green chemical industry and other industrial foundations, and through the "chain master enterprise supporting park" model, it is recommended to attract middle and downstream enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta to settle down, and build the largest metal new materials industry cluster in the southwest region.

2. Innovate the cross-border cooperation mechanism: explore the "enclave economy" model, jointly build industrial parks in Haipang City, Vietnam, realize the closed loop of "Beihai R&D-Vietnam Manufacturing-ASEAN Sales" and avoid trade barriers.

3. Optimize the energy structure: Accelerate the integration of offshore wind power and hydrogen production, use green hydrogen to replace some industrial coal, and strive to be included in the national hydrogen fuel cell vehicle demonstration urban agglomeration.

(II) Recommendations of third-party think tanks

The research team of Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences pointed out that Beihai needs to solve two major bottlenecks:

- Talent shortcomings: It is recommended to jointly build the "Xianghai Economics College" with ASEAN universities, targeted training of professional talents such as cross-border logistics and international finance, and provide a subsidy of 500,000 yuan for imported doctoral students.

- County economic imbalance: Support Hepu County in developing calcium carbonate deep processing and cultural tourism and health care industries, build Tieshan Port District into the core area of ​​the cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone, and narrow the regional development gap.

7. Conclusion

The formulation and implementation of Beihai's "15th Five-Year Plan" is a key leap in its transformation from a "tourist city" to an "international portal". Against the backdrop of national strategy support and regional coordinated deepening, Beihai needs to take major projects as the starting point, take open innovation as the driving force, coordinate security and development, and achieve breakthroughs in green transformation, industrial upgrading, cross-border cooperation and other fields. In the next five years, it is worth looking forward to whether this coastal city can continue to write the "North Sea Speed".