Hailed as the "Pearl on the Tropic of Cancer", Guangzhou is a hub connecting the Chinese mainland with the rest of the world. The city maintains trade links with more than 220 countries and regions around the globe. Guangzhou's Baiyun International Airport services 136 shipping routes across five continents on a daily basis. Guangzhou Port has opened 150 container shipment routes, trading with over 400 ports in more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, making the city a veritable beacon of open market trade on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

As of Jan 31, 2021, Guangzhou housed 66 foreign consulate generals and has also established Friendship City relations with 38 international cities: Fukuoka (Japan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (the Philippines), Vancouver (Canada), Sydney (Australia), Bari (Italy), Lyon (France), Frankfurt (Germany), Auckland (New Zealand), Gwangju (Republic of Korea), Liknoping (Sweden), Durban (South Africa), Bristol (Britain), Yekaterinburg (Russia), Arequipa (Peru), Surabaya (Indonesia), Vilnius (Lithuania), Birmingham (Britain), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Recife (Brazil), Tampere (Finland), Bangkok (Thailand), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Dubai (the United Arab Emirates), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Kazan (Russia), Istanbul (Turkey), Harare (Zimbabwe), San Jose (Costa Rica), Noboribetsu (Japan), Valencia (Spain), Rabat (Morocco), Lodz (Poland), Ahmedabad (India), Pokhara (Nepal), Quito (Ecuador), Santiago (Chile), and Mombasa County (Kenya).