The blueprint aims to transform 11 cities in the Pearl River Delta into a thriving global centre of technology, innovation and economic vibrancy by 2022, led by four key cities - Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Beijing unveiled a blueprint for China’s “Greater Bay Area” late on Monday that envisioned a cluster of world-class cities for work, life and leisure, laying out a road map to what it hailed as the new era of opening up.
The blueprint aims to transform 11 cities in the Pearl River Delta into a thriving global centre of technology, innovation and economic vibrancy by 2022, led by four key cities - Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
The plan also includes cities such as Zhuhai, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Foshan, Zhaoqing and Jiangmen.
By 2035, the region is to be developed into an economic system largely driven by innovation, with advanced manufacturing and modern services industries.
Authorities will expand and upgrade airports in the four core cities, and accelerate construction of large-scale oil reserve bases in the Pearl River Delta area, Beijing said.
A key priority is the closer integration between mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, while upholding the “one country, two systems” principle for the two special administrative regions.
Under the roadmap, Hong Kong will build on its status as an international financial, transportation and trade hub. Beijing also outlined its support for Hong Kong becoming the hub for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region.
Guangzhou would strengthen its function as an international commerce and industry hub, while Shenzhen would be turned into a special economic zone and the home of China’s innovation and technology giants.
Macau would become a global tourism hub and a platform for trade with Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil.
China’s Greater Bay Area is currently home to some 68 million people, and has a combined gross domestic product of about US$1.5 trillion, roughly equivalent to that of Australia or South Korea.