The 2026 Guangdong Provincial High-Quality Development Conference was held on February 24, the first work day after the Chinese New Year holiday in Guangzhou.

This year's conference focuses on promoting the coordinated development of the manufacturing and service industries. 

Guangdong has one of the most complete manufacturing systems in the world—covering all 31 major industrial categories in China. It has powered the province's economy for decades. But today, scale alone is no longer enough.

In Guangdong, services already account for nearly 60% of GDP, the potential is enormous.

How does Guangdong plan to push for the coordinated development of the manufacturing and service industries, and turn that into the next competitive edge? In this episode of China Xplained, we'll search for the answers.