Integrating with China won’t diminish Hong Kong’s role, despite what some may think

Bernard Chan says economics, not politics, drives Greater Bay Area development, and fears that Hong Kong will become just another Chinese city are unwarranted

Critics should see how the plan, now boosted by the newly opened bridge to Macau and Zhuhai, can extend Hong Kong’s economic base

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Passengers take photographs while crossing the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge towards Hong Kong on October 24. The bridge comes with a hefty price tag, but the economic and other benefits will be enjoyed by generations to come. Photo: Bloomberg

Bernard Chan

Bernard Chan, born in 1965, is a Hong Kong businessman.

Published: 1:30pm, 8 Nov 2018Updated: 8:27pm, 8 Nov 2018

When the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge opened a couple of weeks ago, it was hailed as an engineering marvel. It also met with some criticism from people who doubt the project is worth the considerable cost.

Perhaps these two views are related. As an infrastructure project, the bridge links places separated by nearly 40km of water, while keeping sea lanes open for shipping. It is the longest such fixed link in the world. In addition, it is designed to last 120 years. Obviously, this is expensive – but the economic and other benefits will be enjoyed by generations to come.

One sign of the bridge’s importance is that the opening ceremony was attended by President Xi Jinping, as well as many other local and national leaders. This is because the bridge is seen as a major boost to the Greater Bay Area concept. This plan is aimed at further integrating nine cities in Guangdong province, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan and Zhongshan, as well as the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The total population of the region is nearly 68 million.

Watch: Five things to know about the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

This plan has the support of the highest levels of the central government in Beijing. The leading group overseeing the project is chaired by Vice-Premier Han Zheng.

This region is already a major economic powerhouse, and Beijing has long wanted to see more cooperation among the various jurisdictions. Back in the mid-2000s, officials raised the idea of a Greater Pearl River Delta economic zone, encompassing the cluster of cities mentioned above.

Some local critics see the plan as primarily political – aimed at merging Hong Kong into mainland China. But it covers 10 other cities. The idea is to get all these local governments to work more as a team rather than compete between themselves in too many economic activities. For example, five cities in the region have international-class airports, several of which have big expansion plans. One city is planning a second airport. It might make more sense to coordinate this expansion and avoid waste – but that requires a more regional and top-down approach.