The city's total export value also grew rapidly, by 15.8 percent year on year to $72.7 billion in 2014, according to the government work report.

"New business models have been playing a growing role in trade growth, given that the city's traditional trade markets have been experiencing drops in demand," Chen said.

The city's cross-border e-commerce trade reached 1.31 billion yuan ($213 million) in 2014, according to the report.

Guangzhou was joined in 2013 by the major trade cities of Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Ningbo as pilot cities to introduce cross-border e-commerce services.

After Guangzhou's rebound in foreign trade, the city has set a 10-percent target for import and export growth for 2015.

"We will expand the export of advanced equipment, key components and bulk commodities," Chen said.

The establishment of a free trade zone in the city's Nansha District is also expected to help boost its foreign trade.

"The zone will create a series of preferential policies for trade, which will benefit local exporters," said Jiang Weikai, President of Golden Sea Professional Equipment Ltd., a major provider of professional lighting equipment based in Guangzhou, which experienced a 20-percent increase in trade last year.

The free trade zone of Nansha, part of Guangdong's Free Trade Zone that also includes Hengqin in Zhuhai and Qianhai in Shenzhen, was approved by the Central Government at the end of last year.

Jiang, also a deputy to the local people's congress, said a healthy trade environment for local exporters should also be created.

Caring for the elderly

On January 29, the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress passed a regulation on home-based old-age care, stipulating that grown-up children are obligated to support their aging parents.

The regulation, scheduled to take effect on May 1, is the country's first local legislation on home-based senior care.

Under the regulation, children and other caregivers should offer economic and practical support as well as "spiritual consolation" to the elderly.

It also stipulates that the government should offer subsidies and senior service facilities for the elderly with special difficulties, such as those living on a low income, suffering from disability or who have lost their only child.

The legislation defines the scope of responsibilities for the family and the government. It also includes provisions concerning such areas as construction of old-age service facilities in communities and medical and health services.

Communities will be asked to provide dining rooms for elderly people and a door-to-door food service for those unable to go out. The regulation also proposes introducing emergency contact devices for the incapacitated or elderly living alone at home.

Health administrations in each district should establish a health record for the aging in order to better provide medical care.

Liu Jigang, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, said the city's home-based old-age care suffers from various problems, such as lack of facilities and trained personnel as well as inadequate supply of pension services.

Liu said Beijing's aging population has greatly increased since 1990. The elderly population in the city is expanding by 6 percent annually. The number exceeded 3 million by the end of 2014, and it is expected to surpass 4 million by 2020.

In 2013, Beijing had 2.92 million elderly residents--474,000 were over 80 and 450,000 were unable to look after themselves.

A recent survey by the legislature found that 96 percent of the elderly prefer home-based care to living in a nursing home that makes dining, healthcare and emergency rescue priorities.

China now has about 200 million people aged 60 and over. The number accounts for some 14 percent of the total population and is expected to surge to 400 million in 2050. Over 90 percent of senior citizens choose home-based pension support nationwide.

With the issuing of the capital regulations, deputies urged the government to take supporting measures to ensure its effectiveness.

Yang Jiefu, a political adviser and Director of the Heart Center at Beijing Hospital, said it is necessary to ask a third-party institute to evaluate the home-based care or nursing services for the elderly.

"The third-party system can supervise how homecare assistants work and whether services are effective or not, which improves the quality of nursing institutes," Yang added.

Zhu Jianyue, a deputy and lawyer from the Xicheng District, agreed and suggested the government provide subsidies for the third-party system to educate homecare assistants and set up a database for them.

"If someone is unqualified or the source of complaints by the elderly or their families, his or her next job will be affected," Zhu said.

"Meanwhile, we can establish housekeeper unions in communities. As most of them are from other provinces, they also need a sense of belonging. It'll help migrant workers better settle in the city," he added.