Guangdong Targets 2.8 Trillion Yuan in Marine GDP by 2030

What changed

Guangdong has issued its 15th Five-Year natural-resources plan, targeting marine GDP of 2.8 trillion yuan and forestry GDP of 1.3 trillion yuan by 2030. It also aims to reuse at least 250,000 mu of existing or inefficient land, cut land use per unit of GDP by at least 27.5% from 2020 levels, and build at least 359 BeiDou reference stations.

Why it matters

Guangdong is turning its coastline, forests, land bank and digital mapping network into one development agenda. Its marine economy reached 2.04 trillion yuan in 2025, up 4.4% year on year and equal to 18.6% of China’s marine GDP. The province already has major clusters in marine oil and gas chemicals, fisheries, offshore wind, marine engineering equipment and tourism.

The plan points toward a more built-up offshore economy: marine innovation zones, modern marine cities, seabed data centres and deep-sea industries. On land, the emphasis is on finding value in what already exists, including state-owned land, “industrial buildings” and housing tied to industrial development. It also proposes market-based trading of resource-rights indicators and an AI model for natural-resources management.

That combination matters because Guangdong is pursuing expansion while trying to use less land for each unit of output. The ambition is clear; the plan does not specify annual funding, project schedules or how progress against the targets will be measured.