(CFP)

The Yangtze River Delta region, encompassing Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, achieved a total GDP of 15 trillion yuan for the first time in the first half of the year.

Jiangsu led with a GDP growth of 5.8% year-on-year, the highest in the region, followed by Zhejiang at 5.6%, Anhui at 5.3% and Shanghai at 4.8%.

As a powerhouse of foreign trade in China, the delta region reported total imports and exports of 7.74 trillion yuan, marking a historical year-on-year increase of 5.9% and accounting for 36.6% of the national total. Notably, Jiangsu’s foreign trade expanded by 8.5% year-on-year to 2.68 trillion yuan, the fastest growth in the region.

The industrial sector experienced rapid growth, significantly contributing to the economic expansion. For example, the added value of Jiangsu's equipment manufacturing sector increased by 9.1% year-over-year.

Rapid growth was observed in the electronics, automotive and shipbuilding sectors, key drivers of industrial economic growth. In the first quarter, Jiangsu's new shipbuilding orders accounted for 30.1% of the global market share.

In the first half of the year, Shanghai saw rapid growth in its leading sectors of integrated circuits, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence. In Zhejiang, private enterprises made notable contributions to the economic development, while Anhui led the delta region in equipment manufacturing growth.

In the consumer market, Jiangsu’s total retail sales of consumer goods reached over 2.41 trillion yuan, a 4.9% year-on-year increase and the highest in the delta.

Shanghai distinguished itself with a 10.6% increase in industrial investment, an 8.4% rise in real estate investment, and a 19.3% growth in high-tech manufacturing investment.