The foreign trade volume of China's Pearl River Delta (PRD) region reached US$514.3 billion in 2005, or 36.2 percent of the country's total.

It is the first time that the region, including nine southern mainland provinces or autonomous regions, has realized trade volumes exceeding US$500 billion, said Wednesday's Beijing News, citing official customs statistics.

According to the newspaper, more than 52 percent of the commodities processed in the PRD region were exported to foreign countries last year, with an export value of US$193.87 billion.

The composition of the traded commodities in the PRD region also improved last year in keeping with the rapid economic growth of the region, said the newspaper.

The customs statistics said the total export value of mechanical and electrical products in the region increased 26 percent to US$184.3 billion in 2005, sharing 63.3 percent of China's national exports.

The export of high-tech products surged 24 percent to US$92.4 billion.

In addition, the region increased exports of special local products IN 2005, with fireworks exports in Hunan province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region hitting US$18.6 million and US$59.15 million respectively.

Facing challenges from the booming Yangtze River Delta and the emerging Bohai Bay economic circle in north China, the PRD has teamed up with neighboring localities to become "one of the world's most prosperous and developed hubs".

The PRD region includes Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan, as well as Hong Kong and Macao. The vast region now accounts for 40 percent of China's GDP.

(Xinhua News Agency February 9, 2006)