The Tianhe Central Business District, a national digital service export base in Guangzhou, has witnessed strong growth in digital service exports, exceeding $10 billion over the past five years.

This remarkable achievement comes as China's digital service exports are rapidly accelerating amid the steady development of cross-border e-commerce, becoming a new growth driver in foreign trade. Globally, digital services now account for more than 50 percent of total service trade.

Wang Jian, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, noted that China's digital service exports have surpassed physical goods, driven by sectors like short videos, gaming, digital content, fintech, and artificial intelligence.

Tianhe CBD is at the forefront of this growth, hosting leading companies in digital creativity such as 37 Interactive Entertainment and Kugou Music, alongside industrial software firms like ZWSOFT and SIE International Technology. The district has rolled out targeted policies to support industries like AI, fintech, and offshore outsourcing, particularly helping small and medium-sized enterprises in their digital transformations.

Home to more than 25,000 digital service enterprises, Tianhe has built a robust "high-end service-led, digital content-driven" ecosystem. In 2025, the district achieved digital service exports of more than $2.3 billion, accounting for 50 percent of Guangzhou's total. From 2020 to 2025, exports grew from $987 million to nearly $2.3 billion, representing an annual growth rate of 18.52 percent and a total increase of 133.84 percent since 2020.

An aerial view of the Tianhe Central Business District in Guangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]