According to the Zhanjiang Finance Bureau, the city's general public budget revenue exceeded 13 billion yuan ($2 billion) in 2017, which was helped by having the second highest growth rate within Guangdong province.

The month of this January was no exception, as Zhanjiang sustained its strong momentum to rake in 1.3 billion yuan. This increase of 35.5 percent has given the city a head start as the provincial first placed city for growth rate.

Over the last year, the bureau has endeavored to revive the sluggish tax revenue by tapping into potential avenues. It has made a breakthrough after communicating stringently with local taxation authorities that were urged to beef up research, calculation and analysis pertaining to revenues.

Meanwhile, local powerhouses such as Baosteel Zhanjiang and Zhanjiang Chenming Group were watched closely, as they are key sources of revenue. Another major monitored industry was real estate.

In terms of non-taxation revenue stream, there was a revamp of commissioner management, monthly reports, auditing, real-time tracking, analytical meetings, collections and administration, which were all normalized during the process.