Since the launch of the 14th Five-Year Plan, confronted with complex and severe external environments and arduous development tasks, Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone (ZAEZ) has adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on Henan's work, conscientiously carried out the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, the State Council, Henan provincial Party committee, and Henan provincial government, and coordinated efforts in hub construction, industrial development, technological innovation, reform and opening-up, and urban construction, achieving solid results in high-quality economic and social development.
I. Rapid Enhancement of its Comprehensive Strength
ZAEZ's regional gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded 150 billion yuan in 2025, with an average annual growth of 10.4% during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Especially after Henan Provincial Party Committee reshaped and restructured ZAEZ's management system and mechanism, from 2023 to 2025, its regional GDP registered an average annual growth of 12.1%, fixed asset investment 22.3%, industrial added value above designated size 18.6%, and total retail sales of consumer goods 10.1%. The growth rates of its major economic indicators have taken the lead in Henan Province, and its role as a core position, main battlefield and primary engine for high-quality economic development has become increasingly prominent.
II. Continuous Strengthening of its Hub Advantages
In terms of air transport, the passenger and cargo handling capacities of Zhengzhou Airport have been upgraded to 40 million passengers and 1.1 million tons per year respectively. In 2025, the cargo and mail throughput reached 1.033 million tons, entering the global "million-ton club" for air cargo, with its international cargo and mail throughput ranking the 5th in China. In terms of railway transport, the High-Speed Railway ZAEZ Station has successively launched high-speed rail express services on the Zhengzhou-Chongqing and Zhengzhou-Qingdao lines. China's first provincial-level high-speed rail logistics operation platform was established. The core functional area of Zhengzhou International Land Port (ZILP) was completed and put into operation. In terms of road transport, the truck flight cargo collection and distribution network covers more than 100 large and medium-sized cities in major economic zones such as the Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Sichuan-Chongqing. The first International Road Transport Hub Center in inland China was built, achieving multiple national firsts in businesses such as the "first outbound trip of Chinese vehicles with Chinese certificates". In terms of multimodal transport, the Zone has innovatively developed air container cargo pallet transport vehicles and overseas cargo palletizing modes, formulated relevant standards for air-land intermodal transport, removed blockages in intermodal transport, and improved the transfer efficiency of air-land intermodal transport, which was selected as a typical case for reducing costs, improving quality and increasing efficiency in transportation and logistics in the second batch by the Ministry of Transport.
III. Expansion and Quality Improvement of its Opening-Up
Regarding the "Air Silk Road", the construction of the Zhengzhou-Luxembourg "Air Silk Road" has been continuously deepened, facilitating the stable and smooth operation of the China-Europe industrial chain. The constructions of the Zhengzhou-ASEAN "Air Silk Road" and the Zhengzhou-Kuala Lumpur "dual hubs" are accelerating. Regarding the "Land Silk Road", ZILP has built an international transport dual channels of "China-Laos Railway + China-Europe Railway Express", and the China-Laos Railway Express (Zhengzhou-Laos) operates regularly. A total of 26 international road transport routes have been opened, forming a cross-border transport network covering 11 countries. Regarding the "Digital Silk Road", a complete industrial chain for cross-border e-commerce has taken shape, including e-commerce platforms, warehousing, logistics, customs clearance and settlement enterprises. In 2025, cross-border e-commerce transaction volume reached 303 million orders with a cargo value of 34.78 billion yuan, 2.2 times and 3.1 times those of 2020 respectively, hitting a record high. Regarding the "Maritime Silk Road", the export of goods from ZILP to Australia and South America via Shanghai Port has been regularly operational. Cargo collection warehouses have been set up in Shenzhen and Tianbao of Yunnan Province. A cross-border cargo shared transit warehouse has been established at the border port in Pingxiang of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, opening a new southbound channel for "sea-rail intermodal transport". Regarding the opening-up platforms, the expansion of Zhengzhou Xinzheng Comprehensive Bonded Zone has been approved by the State Council, with its total foreign trade import and export volume ranking the 2nd among all comprehensive bonded zones in China.
IV. Continuous Growth of its Leading Industries
The output value of the electronic information industry has exceeded 500 billion yuan, becoming a "golden business card" of Henan's provincial-level advanced manufacturing clusters. A number of projects filling the industrial gaps in Henan Province, such as the Xfusion Server Production Base, New Display Base, Airport Intelligent Computing Center and Xinghang Technology, have been completed and put into production. The new energy vehicle industry has basically realized a complete industrial chain layout covering whole vehicles, power systems, key components, molds and automotive aftermarket, with BYD Zhengzhou becoming BYD's strategic production base with the most complete industrial chain layout in China. The biomedical industry has formed an integrated development pattern of "medical research, medical treatment, medical education, medical engineering and medicine". For modern commerce and logistics, large logistics integrators such as SF Express and JD.com have been introduced, and the Central Plains International Convention and Exhibition Center has been built. Emerging industries such as aerospace and intelligent equipment have been accelerating their agglomeration.
V. Continuous Improvement of its Innovation System
Supported by Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Sciences, Henan Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and ZAEZ Academy of Sciences, the Zone is accelerating the construction of universities such as Aerospace University and University of Electronic Science and Technology, promoting the integrated development of education, science and technology and talents, and initially building a "pilot test + industrialization" ecological system. Henan provincial laboratories such as the Central Plains Nanozyme Laboratory and Central Plains Graphene Laboratory have settled in this Zone. 11 research institutes including Rehabilitation Medicine have been completed and put into operation. Public service platforms such as cell and gene therapy CDMO and medical device CDMO have been put into use, and 190 R&D platforms at or above the municipal level have been built. There are 210 national high-tech enterprises, 346 national science and technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises, and 74 "specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative" enterprises. The Zone has vigorously developed science and technology finance, with 51 various science and technology funds registered. The "Central Plains Special Zone Talent Plan" has been formulated and issued, with the total number of skilled talents reaching 146,300. The intensity of social R&D investment has entered the first echelon in Henan Province.
VI. Continuous Deepening of its Reform Exploration
The Regulations of Zhengzhou Airport Economy Comprehensive Experimental Zone, the first local regulation for an aviation economic zone in China, has been promulgated and implemented. Its management system and mechanism have been reshaped and restructured. The Zone has deepened the comprehensive supporting reform of the business environment, expanded the scope of "efficiently completing one matter" to "efficiently completing one category of matters", and implemented "one category of matters" for foreign trade, exhibitions, biomedicine, and new energy vehicle industrial chains, accelerating the construction of a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment. The land supermarket has been launched online, enabling "cloud browsing, precise matching and one-click response" for land viewing and selection. The Zone has fully implemented the basic requirements of "five unifications and one opening-up". Its experience and practices such as "high-speed rail + air transport" land-air intermodal transport and "in-depth integration of large logistics parks and industries" have been promoted by the Ministry of Transport. Initiatives including "zone-port integration", "fostering new productive forces in high-speed rail logistics" and "promoting the new TIR international road transport mode" have been selected as typical reform cases of Henan's integration into and service for the national unified market in 2025.
VII. Accelerated Improvement of its Urban Quality
The comprehensive development of urban functional zones has been carried out at a high level, with the built-up area reaching 140.3 square kilometers. The "two vertical, two horizontal and one semi-circular" expressway has been completed and put into operation, with the mileage of municipal roads open to traffic reaching 750 kilometers. Village consolidation, and urban village renovation have been accelerated, with 91 resettlement housing projects completed and handed over, resettling approximately 244,000 people, and the urbanization rate exceeding 65%. A large number of high-quality medical, educational, and other public service resources have been completed, including the South Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, the South Campus of the First People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, No.1 Middle School of Zhengzhou, Henan Experimental Primary School and Henan Provincial Staff Culture and Sports Center, and the supporting of high-quality public services has been continuously improved. The "three vertical and three horizontal" ecological corridors to the east of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and a number of road greening projects and street parks have been completed. The employment-first strategy and the rural revitalization strategy have been thoroughly implemented, with more than 35,000 new urban jobs created in total. In 2025, the per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents reached 46,000 yuan, 3,127 yuan higher than the national average. The governance model of "party building + grid + big data" has been continuously deepened, with the overall social situation remaining harmonious and stable. (Source: ZAEZ's Development and Statistics Bureau (Key Project Coordination and Promotion Office) Translator: Hong Jianyuan)