Cities in East China's Zhejiang province recently released their mid-year economic reports, with several notable highlights.

Wenzhou's first-half data stands out, as the city's GDP reached 971.9 billion yuan ($135.29 billion) in 2024, just shy of the 1 trillion yuan mark by less than 30 million yuan. Wenzhou's GDP for the first half of 2025 reached 483.19 billion yuan, growing 6.0 percent year-on-year.

Hangzhou, the provincial capital, saw its GDP reach 1.13 trillion yuan, a 5.5 percent increase over the same period last year. Ningbo's GDP stood at 886.1 billion yuan, reflecting a 5.1 percent increase.

In the first half of the year, Hangzhou's production of new energy vehicles surged 117.8 percent, industrial robots increased by 125.4 percent, and integrated circuits grew by 29.4 percent.

For Hangzhou, the key to maintaining its leadership in Zhejiang's economy and enhancing its national standing lies in technological innovation, particularly in capturing early opportunities in artificial intelligence and vertical sector applications, while forming industrial clusters.

Ningbo's industrial added value for the first half of 2025 grew 5.7 percent year-on-year, outpacing the city's GDP growth rate by 0.6 percentage points, contributing 45.5 percent to overall GDP growth.

Among Ningbo's key industries, instruments and meters, computer communications, and petroleum processing posted robust performances, with growth rates of 23.4 percent, 15.3 percent, and 13.8 percent, respectively.

Ningbo's GDP target of 2 trillion yuan is within reach. With current trends, it is expected to either be met this year or next, generating much anticipation.

In terms of growth rates, Zhoushan, Shaoxing, Taizhou, and Lishui saw the highest increases. Zhoushan led the pack with a 6.9 percent growth rate, followed closely by Shaoxing at 6.8 percent. Taizhou and Lishui both posted 6.6 percent growth, sharing third place.