The nine cities of Guangdong Province in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) saw their foreign trade surpass 9 trillion yuan (about 1.29 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, hitting a record high.

The nine GBA mainland cities recorded imports and exports totaling 9.15 trillion yuan (about 1.31 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 4.7 percent, according to statistics from the Guangdong branch of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC)

This value accounted for 20.1 percent of the national total and contributed over one-fourth of the country’s total foreign trade growth.

Last year, the nine cities’ exports reached 5.83 trillion yuan (about 836 billion U.S. dollars), growing by 2.7 percent, while imports hit 3.32 trillion yuan (about 476 billion U.S. dollars), up by 8.5 percent.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), both imports and exports in the nine cities increased, with an average annual growth rate of 6.2 percent.

The number of enterprises with import and export records in the nine cities exceeded 150,000, a record high.

Among them, private enterprises numbered 139,700, with a total import and export value of 5.87 trillion yuan (about 842 billion U.S. dollars), both setting historical records, up by 20.3 percent and 5.3 percent respectively.

Mechanical and electrical products accounted for nearly 70 percent of the total export value of the nine cities last year, reaching 4.07 trillion yuan (about 584 billion U.S. dollars), up 7.6 percent.

Among them, the traditional electronics manufacturing sector maintained a solid advantage.

Exports of electronic components, electrical equipment, computers and their parts grew steadily by 20.1 percent, 17 percent, and 9.7 percent, respectively.

Emerging industries developed rapidly, with exports of intelligent and green products such as the “new trio” (electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaic products), 3D printers, and drones increasing by over 30 percent, specifically by 31.2 percent, 37.1 percent, and 40.8 percent, respectively.

In 2025, mechanical and electrical products accounted for 72.2 percent of the total import value across the nine cities, rising 12.2 percent to 2.39 trillion yuan (about 343 billion U.S. dollars).

Notably, imports of components and equipment for industrial production — such as integrated circuits, computers and their parts, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment — grew relatively fast, by 15.4 percent, 19.4 percent, and 33.1 percent, respectively.

During the same period, imports of consumer goods related to people’s livelihood, including dairy products, aquatic products, grain, and edible vegetable oil, saw strong increase, rising by 20.5 percent, 21.5 percent, 22.5 percent, and 54.4 percent, respectively.

The GBA consists of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR), as well as nine cities in Guangdong Province, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing.

The Cuban National Defense Council met on Saturday and reviewed and approved plans and measures for the country’s transition to a ‘state of war’, according to a statement released on the official website of the Cuban Presidential Palace.

The meeting was held under the purpose of enhancing and improving the combat readiness and coordination capabilities of command organizations at all levels and relevant personnel, and served as “part of the country’s preparation under the strategic concept of the War of the Entire People”, said the statement.

It comes amid heightened tensions between Cuba and the United States after the U.S. launched large-scale military strikes against Venezuela earlier this month, during which it forcibly seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife before taking them to New York.

The U.S. attack on Venezuela led to the deaths of 32 Cuban soldiers, whose remains were flown back to the country on Thursday. Thousands gathered on the streets of Havana on Friday to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers and protest against the U.S. military actions which have received widespread condemnation worldwide.

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that Cuba could become the next target following the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, and in a social media post urged Cuba to “make a deal” or face consequences, and said that the flow of Venezuelan oil and money to Cuba would be stopped.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said Cuba will not initiate attacks or threats against any country, but is prepared to defend every inch of its territory.