A convergence of strengths and a pragmatic push for progress define the current trajectory. Since the start of 2026, the Five-phase New Area and its local Liangqing District have embraced a unified development strategy, tackling challenges head-on to elevate the region's opening-up capabilities and deepen industrial collaboration. Core economic indicators are advancing steadily, urban functions are improving, and public services are being shared, showcasing the robust vitality and competitive edge of the integrated "two-district" development model.
A striking set of figures charts the area's determined march forward: from January to July, the total output value of industries above designated size reached 24.444 billion yuan, a year-on-year surge of 107.4%. The number of digital economy enterprises above designated size hit 84, with the digital economy's scale surpassing 49.4 billion yuan. By the end of July, the Nanning Area of the Pilot Free Trade Zone added 5,069 new enterprises, utilized foreign investment of USD 54.4864 million—accounting for 75.9% of the city's total—and completed a goods trade import and export volume of 26.899 billion yuan.
Digital Intelligence Drives Industrial Clustering and New Growth
Inside the cleanroom of Guangxi Huaxin Zhenbang Semiconductor Co., Ltd., wafers undergo over a hundred precision processes, transforming from disc-sized substrates into sesame-sized packaged chips that power various intelligent devices. At the Five-phase Yungu Word Factory, an hourly capacity of 200 billion words provides enterprises with a continuous stream of token services. Stepping into the AI exhibition hall of Maiyue Technology Co., Ltd., one sees AI glasses ready to reach domestic and international markets... The South A Center's display hall further highlights these advancements. From core components to computing infrastructure and intelligent terminals, a complete digital intelligence industry chain is rapidly taking shape and thriving in the Five-phase New Area.
Building on the South A Center's establishment, the Five-phase New Area leverages its position as a frontier for ASEAN-oriented opening-up and cooperation. Following the "Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou R&D + Guangxi Integration + ASEAN Application" development path, it focuses on park construction, industrial recruitment, application scenarios, and ecosystem development. The goal is to accelerate the growth of new quality productive forces centered on artificial intelligence, solidifying its role in creating an international AI cooperation hub for ASEAN.
The core infrastructure of the South A Park is taking shape, with the main construction of the South A Center's AI enterprise R&D base and the Trusted Data Zone (South A ASEAN Bay) completed and expected to be operational by the end of September. Construction of the South A ASEAN Valley is also progressing. As of September 11, 69 domestic and international OPC (One Person Company) enterprises have settled there. The Guangxi-ASEAN AI Concept Validation Center was inaugurated, and the region's first autonomous regional-level Guangxi ASEAN Embodied Intelligence Pilot Training Ground has been completed and put into use. The continuously refined international communication and data infrastructure forms a solid foundation for the efficient operation of these various carriers. The construction of the Nanning International Communication Business Entry and Exit Bureau is progressing smoothly and is set to become operational by year-end. This will significantly reduce cross-border communication latency with ASEAN, strongly supporting the agglomeration of new digital business forms like word token exports and cross-border AI computing services.
Computing power is the cornerstone for the steady development of the AI industry. Nanning has launched the first batch of national data field international cooperation pilot projects, with the Five-phase New Area designated as the national core zone for implementing ASEAN-oriented cross-border data cooperation and data element circulation pilot programs. The Nanning Area of the Pilot Free Trade Zone has received national approval for pilot programs in various new business forms, including data processing, game services, cross-border settlement, and cross-border manufacturing, and is the only district in Guangxi selected for the national digital trade demonstration zone cultivation list. Five-phase Yungu has completed the construction of a 5,000P intelligent computing cluster, making it the region's largest computing power base in Guangxi, and recently established the nation's first commercially operated word token factory. "Currently, the Five-phase Yungu Word Factory has a production capacity of 200 billion words per hour, which can be increased to 2 trillion words per hour in the medium term," stated Li Qunwei, Executive President of R unbond Co., Ltd. He added that the Five-phase New Area provides strong support in energy consumption indicators, land supply, and industrial supporting facilities, offering excellent conditions for the large-scale and clustered development of the computing power industry.
Project recruitment continues to break new ground, with the Five-phase New Area signing 15 new AI and next-generation information technology projects this year, including investments from Yonyou Network and Dapu Micro. As of September this year, the South A Center has cumulatively signed 103 domestic AI projects and attracted 19 foreign-funded AI enterprises, with the industrial clustering effect gradually becoming apparent. AI application scenarios are rapidly expanding from single-point demonstrations to widespread implementation. Demonstration projects like "AI+Community," "AI+Education," and "AI+Government Affairs" have been launched in Panlong Community, Tian Tao Experimental School Qingyun Campus, and the Civic Center. Intelligent logistics unmanned delivery routes are being rolled out, bringing AI into residents' daily lives. The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo set up a South A Community exhibition area in the Five-phase New Area for the first time, immersively showcasing innovative achievements across the entire chain.
Optimizing the Environment to Foster a Thriving Business Landscape
The real sentiment of enterprises serves as the most direct barometer of the business environment. "From project initiation to completing registration and settling in, it took only about half a month—very efficient!" said Zhang Guoguang, CEO of Weizhen Technology, at the South A ASEAN Valley OPC Community launch ceremony on September 11. He expressed strong confidence in starting a business in the Five-phase New Area, highlighting the community's channel advantages for ASEAN and his hope to collaborate with other OPCs in the digital health sector to jointly explore the ASEAN market.
OPC entrepreneurs' bold ambitions are supported by favorable policies. The Five-phase New Area leverages policy innovation to stimulate market vitality, introducing supportive policies for the OPC Innovation Pioneer Zone and focusing on building six differentiated OPC communities, including South A ASEAN Valley, to provide comprehensive, full-cycle support for entrepreneurs. Tan Songlin, founder of Huideng Technology (Guangxi) Co., Ltd., noted that the enterprise enjoys various policy supports in the community, including a dedicated registration channel and guarantees for computing power and data, and has achieved rapid information aggregation and global dissemination through the OPC community platform.
Enterprise services are continuously innovating. Financial products such as the AI industry fund, the "Hui Xiao Er" cross-border financial intelligent agent, the China-ASEAN Cross-border Trade Financial Interconnection Platform, and large-model AI liability insurance have been implemented and are yielding results. The Five-phase New Area has established a total fund of 2.5 billion yuan for the Nanning Five-phase Industrial High-Quality Development Fund and a 100 million yuan Nanning Wufu Digital Intelligence Future Fund. Enterprises can benefit from the "Five Exemptions and Five Halves" corporate income tax incentives of the China-ASEAN Industrial Cooperation Zone. Other incentives include up to two years of free rent for 500 square meters of office space, two-year free accommodation in senior talent apartments for company high-level talent, computing power voucher subsidies, and fund support to help enterprises quickly establish and thrive.
The "innovative + attentive" services are attracting entrepreneurial talent. The Five-phase New Area has improved a multi-dimensional talent policy system covering innovation and entrepreneurship, industry-talent integration, talent recruitment and cultivation, and living arrangements. Since the beginning of this year, a cumulative total of 204,800 yuan in rental and purchase subsidies has been distributed, 113 units of high-level talent apartments have been fulfilled, benefiting 119 talents in industries like AI and the digital economy. The innovative Five-phase Talent Card has been issued to over 800 individuals. The level of openness has been comprehensively elevated. The Nanning Area of the Pilot Free Trade Zone has rolled out 299 innovation achievements, of which 254 are national or regional firsts, with a regional-level or above first-rate ratio of about 84.9%. This institutional innovation empowers the business environment, highlighting its role as a reform demonstration leader.
Translating policy dividends into tangible benefits for enterprises requires efficient and convenient service channels. Relying on the "Five-phase Yiqi" platform, the area has built a service chain covering the entire enterprise lifecycle. As of August 19, the platform has launched 15 application functions, covering modules such as direct policy delivery, direct enterprise feedback, an intermediary service supermarket, and a one-code pass. A dedicated service zone has been opened on the homepage of the "Love Nanning APP," attracting over 50 institutions to settle in and offering 121 service products.
Promoting Integration and Painting a Livable City Picture
As the "soft environment" continues to improve, "hard strength" is also being reinforced. This year, the Five-phase New Area, adhering to its national-level green ecological demonstration zone positioning, has been continuously improving its urban public infrastructure. It is transitioning from large-scale development and construction to a phase of fulfilling supporting facilities, population aggregation, and industrial momentum, solidifying a livable and business-friendly urban foundation.
Three-dimensional transportation ensures smooth connectivity inside and out. The "seven vertical and four horizontal" main road network, three subway lines, and seven cross-river bridges weave together the urban fabric, forming a half-hour commuting circle from the core area to the airport and high-speed rail station. Upon the opening of the Pinglu Canal, the Five-phase New Area will transform into a core hub for inland cities seeking maritime development. Education is developing with universal access to quality preschool, primary, and secondary education, with over 80 public schools and kindergartens covering all school-age levels. Through group-based schooling models that introduce premium municipal school resources, high-quality education clusters are taking shape. Ecological and smart development is advancing in tandem. The core ecological indicators of the Five-phase New Area far exceed national standards, fully implementing the "300 meters to green, 500 meters to a park" requirement, with multi-level urban green corridors forming a connected network. All new civil buildings in the area meet 100% green building standards. The Five-phase Underground Space Project was recognized as a typical case by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the only project in Guangxi to receive this honor. Livelihood facilities are continuously upgraded. The "10-minute cultural and leisure circle" is basically formed; five top-tier Grade IIIA standard medical institutions, linked with grassroots sites, are steadily building a "15-minute health service circle"; and the co-development of large commercial complexes and convenient community businesses is enhancing the city's vibrant atmosphere.
Innovation-driven factors are accelerating agglomeration. Innovation platforms such as the Guangxi AI College, Guangxi AI Laboratory, Guangxi Academy of Industrial Technology, Guangxi Key Metals Research Institute, Guangxi Guidian Technical Service Center, China-ASEAN Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center, China-ASEAN Ocean Remote Sensing Center, and the Single-Atom Catalysis Industrial Research Institute are operational. The Five-phase New Area boasts 3 national-level innovation and entrepreneurship platforms, 69 autonomous region-level ones, 79 specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "little giant" and Gazelle enterprises, 182 technology-based SMEs, and a stock of 244 high-tech enterprises, accounting for over 20% of the city's total. Industrial development is enhancing quality and efficiency, with industry-city integration creating a mutually reinforcing dynamic. Leveraging multiple national-level platforms like the Nanning Area of the Pilot Free Trade Zone, the industrial economy of the Five-phase New Area has achieved leapfrog growth. From January to July, the electronic information industry became the core growth engine, completing an output value of 17.087 billion yuan for industries above designated size, a year-on-year increase of 148%, representing 49.4% of Nanning's total electronic information industry.
Riding the Momentum to Create a New Chapter of Integration
The canal tide rises, connecting rivers to the sea; Five-phase strives forward, setting sail for the future. At this new stage, the Five-phase New Area is accelerating the creation of "One Center, Six High Grounds." This includes building an ASEAN-oriented AI Application Cooperation Center, a new high ground for ASEAN-oriented free trade innovation and open cooperation, a new high ground for ASEAN-oriented financial openness and development, a new high ground for the agglomeration and development of producer services, a new high ground for carrying advanced manufacturing, a new high ground for ASEAN-oriented services in the region's science and technology agglomeration, and a new high ground for ASEAN-oriented talent agglomeration and development.
Focusing on industry cultivation to accumulate new momentum for quality and efficiency, the Five-phase New Area will seize the new track of AI, accelerate the construction of the South A Center park, and support the smooth operation of the Nanning International Communication Business Entry and Exit Bureau. It will optimize the operational model of differentiated OPC communities and promote the area as a pioneering OPC demonstration zone. The plan includes strengthening the modern service industry cluster, advancing the construction of the China-ASEAN Financial City 2.0, bolstering emerging manufacturing, promoting the expansion and efficiency of key industrial projects, and striving for an annual growth of over 80% in the total output value of industries above designated size.
In strengthening investment attraction to enhance economic development momentum, the area will integrate recruitment efforts, form a "two-district" synergy, and innovate recruitment models. The goal is to introduce over 65 projects with an investment of more than 20 million yuan each, and add over 20 new enterprises to the annual statistics above designated size. To strengthen domestic and foreign trade and vigorously promote consumption and investment, the plan includes upgrading the "one-stop" platform for enterprises to go global, implementing "AI + cross-border e-commerce" application scenarios, and expanding the overall scale of domestic and foreign trade. It will also innovate consumption formats, promote the integrated development of performances, competitions, exhibitions, business, and tourism, deepen the "ticket economy" linkage effect, and achieve dual-driven growth through expanding consumption and strengthening investment.
To optimize the development environment and enhance livability and business-friendliness, the area will continue to polish the "Five-phase Yiqi" brand, implement joint approval, convenient services, and prudent supervision. It will ensure the direct and swift realization of preferential policies without application, conduct regular enterprise visits and assistance, and precisely solve problems related to financing, employment, operations, and development. A batch of "small but beautiful" livelihood projects will be implemented, accelerating the construction of dead-end roads, streetlights, and network communications around residential areas to effectively address the urgent needs of the public.
The journey ahead is long and the wind is strong; it's time to spur the horse and gallop forward. With greater determination, a more pragmatic style, and more effective measures, the Five-phase New Area will consolidate a consensus on integration, strengthen responsibility and action, proactively tackle difficulties, and spare no effort to achieve the annual targets. It is committed to creating a new landscape for the integrated development of the "two districts," writing a new chapter of high-quality development on this new journey, and striving to make greater contributions to Nanning's construction of a modern people's city.