The economic powerhouses of Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shandong accounted for nearly 30 percent of the country's economy in the first half of 2013, according to local statistics bureaus.

While Guangdong was still the single biggest contributor to the economy, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces in East China came close, generating about 2.76 trillion yuan ($449.6 billion) and 2.59 trillion yuan, respectively.

The economic growth rates of 20 provinces and municipalities surpassed the national average, with a combined value accounting for nearly 94 percent of the country's total.