Innovation drives high-end development

Guangdong's pilot free trade zones are a hub for production, R&D, financial reforms, entrepreneurship and investment

The last four years have witnessed tremendous changes in Guangdong's pilot free trade zones and innovation has been the key driver of high-quality development.

The province's FTZs, formally established in April 2015, include Nansha in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, Qianhai in Shenzhen and Hengqin in Zhuhai. More than 250,000 new companies have registered in the region since their establishment, according to the FTZ authority. Moreover, a total of 70 companies from the top 500 in the world have established more than 300 production facilities and subsidiaries in the zones.