Media Center
Guilin, the only city in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region involved in the nation's pilot program for ecological product value realization mechanisms, has achieved significant progress through reform and innovation, particularly in establishing and improving the institutional framework and exploring pathways and models for value realization.
Speaking at a press conference on Dec 16, Sun Yi, deputy chairman and spokesperson of the Guilin Municipal Development and Reform Commission, emphasized the importance of establishing the mechanism for eco-products value realization as a key path to practicing the philosophy of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets".
The city has preliminarily calculated its gross ecosystem product (GEP), with the value exceeding 700 billion yuan ($99.1 billion) in 2023, nearly three times of its GDP in the same year.
Key initiatives include the completion of China's first carbon sequestration trade in Lingchuan county and two small watershed eco-product value trades in counties of Lingchuan and Yangshuo totaling 4.89 million yuan. Water rights transactions amounting to 10 million cubic meters have also been finalized. The Lijiang River Basin continues to benefit from cross-regional ecological compensation, with the regional government allocating 30 million yuan annually.
Guilin's financial sector has pioneered several "firsts" in Guangxi's green finance, including the issuance of green loans, green bonds and the development of other green financial products. As of mid-2025, the city's green loan balance reached more than 49.7 billion yuan, with around 12 percent year-on-year growth.
In addition, the city actively promotes the development of green and organic agriculture, with 167 certified companies and 206 products.
Guilin's efforts in building influential regional ecological brands have stimulated integrated development across agriculture, processing, e-commerce, and tourism industries.
Looking forward, Sun said, Guilin aims to further innovate and expand its ecological product value realization pathways, contributing to the efforts in building a world-level tourism city.
