The Beibu Gulf Economic Zone in south China has achieved rapid development since its establishment in 2006. The zone has played an important role in enhancing the region’s foreign trade with ASEAN countries.

Qinzhou is one of three cities in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that has a coast in the Beibu Gulf.
In a machinery factory there, workers are busy assembling agricultural trucks. Established in 2005, this factory has been focusing on producing different types of machinery and selling them to farmers in Southeast Asia or even further abroad.

These agricultural vehicles are the factory’s main products that are to be exported to Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and even some African countries like Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Last year the factory earned 56 mln US dollars in export, ranking the first of its kind in the Beibu Gulf Region.

"We develop new types of vehicles and machinery regularly according to the specific demand of consumers. Basically products for each country are different. That’s why they sell so well," said Fan Huishou, vice president of Guangxi Qinzhou Lishun Machinery.

40 kilometers to the south of the factory is the Qinzhou port, which is the busiest in the region in terms of container throughput. Goods can be transported from here directly to over 200 ports globally, 15 of them in ASEAN countries.

Thanks to the region’s perfect location, its foreign trade volume has continued to increase in recent years. Imports & exports reached 150 bln yuan last year and were 8 times higher than a decade ago.

"The region has access to ASEAN countries from both sea and land, and that’s the only region in southern China to have such geographic advantages," said Li Yanqiang, vice director of Beibu Gulf Economic Zone & Cooperation With ASEAN Office.

Now the economic zone is working on building more roads and railways that lead to nearby countries, hoping to better serve bilateral business.