On March 17, the 2024 list of China’s Top 10 Industrial Cities was officially released, with Dongguan ranking seventh, surpassing Ningbo, Wuxi, and Tianjin. Backed by strong industrial growth and transformation, Dongguan reported a total industrial revenue of 2.76915 trillion RMB from enterprises above designated size, marking a 12.3% year-on-year increase.
According to official statistics, the top 10 industrial cities in 2024 are: Shenzhen, Suzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Foshan, Chongqing, Dongguan, Ningbo, Wuxi, and Tianjin. These cities represent the core of China’s industrial transformation and innovation.
Solid Industrial Foundation
Dongguan has long been a manufacturing powerhouse. As one of the first pilot cities in China for the digital transformation of SMEs, Dongguan in 2023 launched a new wave of technical upgrades. Over 220,000 manufacturing companies participated, resulting in a 9.1% increase in industrial tech upgrades. The city’s total industrial output exceeded 2.5 trillion RMB, with over 1,500 new enterprises entering the “above-scale” category—the highest in Guangdong.
Dongguan is also home to 236 “little giant” specialized enterprises, 10,200 high-tech enterprises, and 10 newly recognized national champions in manufacturing, leading all prefecture-level cities in the province.
In 2024, Dongguan aims for a 7% increase in industrial added value, and will promote 800 small firms to scale up.
From “Manufacturing” to “Smart Manufacturing”
Once reliant on labor-intensive production under the “three-plus-one” model in the reform era, Dongguan has since shifted to smart, high-end, and digital manufacturing. The city pioneered initiatives such as “Digital Loans” and the “Smart Factory Program”. In 2024 alone, 2,041 above-scale enterprises underwent digital transformation, bringing the total to 8,448 companies, or 60% of the city’s total.
Backed by 4 billion RMB in central and local government funds, Dongguan rolled out comprehensive support for digital transformation, including diagnostics, consulting, and platform building. This has dramatically improved productivity and global competitiveness.
New Quality Productive Forces
Dongguan is embracing emerging industries as new engines of growth. With the expansion of major players like Huawei and OPPO, its electronic information and smart terminal sectors saw significant gains. In 2024, value-added in electronic manufacturing rose 14.8%, with Dongguan producing nearly 50% of China’s smartphones.
To support future growth, Dongguan launched industrial cluster initiatives across 9 key sectors and introduced tailored strategies for industries like industrial machinery, molds, furniture, and apparel. It also rolled out the “chain chief” system to strengthen supply chains.
AI and Innovation Drive the Future
Dongguan is rapidly integrating artificial intelligence with real-world applications—from autonomous vehicles and smart logistics to AI model R&D. In 2023, its large-scale investment drive brought in 470 projects worth over 1 billion RMB each, with significant growth in high-end equipment and new materials sectors.
The Songshan Lake High-Tech Zone entered China’s top 20 national-level zones, and Binhaiwan New Area saw a 56.3% increase in industrial investment. In 2025, Dongguan launched its first government-issued policy focused on “AI + manufacturing”, aiming to build 100 AI-powered application scenarios by 2027.
A Bright Industrial Future
With a strong industrial base, continuous upgrades, a rise in emerging industries, robust policy support, and growing enterprise competitiveness, Dongguan is firmly positioned for long-term industrial success. The city remains committed to leading with manufacturing, driving innovation, and enhancing its global industrial competitiveness as it moves toward high-quality development.
