The gross domestic product of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, is forecast to grow by about 5 percent in 2026, based on the expansion of emerging industries, according to Sun Zhiyang, the city's mayor, during the annual session of the local legislative meeting on Monday.

In a government work report, Sun said the city will focus on developing and accelerating merging and future-oriented industries, including intelligent connected vehicles, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and the low-altitude economy.

The year will see construction begin on 100 projects, each valued at more than 100 million yuan ($14.36 million). Intelligent connected vehicles will see an expansion of application scenarios, and the city will also explore pilot operations of unmanned vehicles.

Additionally, the city will develop a low-altitude comprehensive hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, along with commercial aerospace industries.

Medical sectors such as cell therapy and nuclear medicine, as well as high-tech industries including semiconductors, will also be prioritized, according to Sun.

"We will implement a special initiative to empower thousands of industries with artificial intelligence and establish a national AI application pilot base in key areas," said Sun.

The city will also improve the intelligent computing service system and build several intelligent computing center projects in 2026.

The focus will be on creating high-quality datasets in key areas and developing new business formats like data processing. Plans are also in place to establish national data industry clusters in the city's Tianhe and Huangpu districts.

Guan Jinghuan contributed to this story.