President Xi Jinping has emphasized the need for Guangdong province to spearhead high-quality development through comprehensive reform and opening-up. During a two-day inspection tour concluding on Saturday, Xi, who also serves as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, highlighted Guangdong’s pivotal role in shaping the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). This plan, adopted during the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, outlines China’s developmental trajectory over the next five years. Guangdong, with a GDP of 14.16 trillion yuan ($1.99 trillion) in 2024, has consistently led the nation’s economic rankings for 36 years. Xi urged the province to leverage its strengths in science and technology, foster a modern industrial system, and deepen cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao to advance the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) into a world-class city cluster. The GBA, comprising Hong Kong, Macao, and nine cities in Guangdong’s Pearl River Delta, is seen as a bridgehead for China’s reform and high-level opening-up. Xi’s visit also included a stop in Meizhou, where he inspected efforts to revitalize rural areas and support old revolutionary base areas. Experts noted that Xi’s tour underscores China’s commitment to deepening reform and opening-up, with the GBA playing a crucial role in integrating global industrial chains and driving domestic innovation.