Opinion | Greater Bay Area is more than a map – it’s a vision for Hong Kong and Macau to lead China’s modernisation

Under the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong and Macau will be more closely involved in the country’s overall development. They and Guangdong province are the front runners, which other parts of China must try to catch up with

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A screen shows a map of the Greater Bay Area during a symposium in Hong Kong on the plan for the region, on February 21. Photo: AP

Published: 9:30am, 24 Mar 2019Updated: 9:58am, 24 Mar 2019

Criticism that the “Greater Bay Area” plan is long on rhetoric and short on implementation details misses the point. An outline plan in Chinese policymaking is general but directional in nature. It is not a road map with specific implementation details – these are to be worked out – but more like the five-year plans that the national government promulgates.

The bay area plan was conceived to take China’s most dynamic socioeconomic region to the next stage of development by emphasising greater cooperation between Guangdong province – the mainland’s leading gross domestic product contributor for 28 years – Hong Kong and Macau, which together take the region’s GDP to US$1.5 trillion.

In China as a whole, the Greater Bay Area also has the most advanced political structure in light of the two special administrative regions’ electoral systems. As the region continues to advance, Hong Kong should not lose heart in seeking further political and administrative reforms, but it will have to work hard for change.

The bay area plan has the highest possible level of support, which was why it was specifically raised in Premier Li Keqiang’s government work report at the recent National People’s Congress in Beijing. Hong Kong and Macau need to play to their strengths as they have long and deep international ties, and a range of management experience that other places in China do not yet have.

The National Development and Reform Commission, China’s government planning body, also emphasised that it would support Hong Kong and Macau to play a bigger role in the country’s overall development. This can be seen from two perspectives.