GUANGZHOU — South China's Guangdong province has over the last decade boldly pushed forward reform and opening-up, and strived to lead other regions in the journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects, according to a press briefing on Aug 31.

Guangdong has maintained robust economic growth and made great strides in high-quality development over the past 10 years, Wang Weizhong, governor of Guangdong, told the briefing.

The province's GDP more than doubled to 12.4 trillion yuan (about $1.8 trillion) in 2021, up from 5.7 trillion yuan in 2012, Wang said. Its foreign trade exceeded 8 trillion yuan in 2021 and its accumulated actual use of foreign investment was 1.3 trillion yuan in the 10 years.

Guangdong has promoted the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and has been continuously building an economy driven by the manufacturing industry and scientific and technological innovation.

Over the past 10 years, the province has nurtured 20 strategic industrial clusters, and its research and development spending has more than doubled.

Guangdong has also promoted the coordinated development of different regions and lifted over 1.6 million residents out of poverty.

In the past five years, it has invested 750 billion yuan in the construction of environmental protection facilities and in tackling pollution. Guangdong's average PM2.5 concentration dropped to 22 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021.