When I think about Hong Kong’s engagement with the Greater Bay Area , which so many have talked and written about over recent years, the temptation remains strong to recall William Shakespeare’s Macbeth , talking of “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. I recognise that much of the ugly anti-mainland street violence in Hong Kong that scarred the second half of 2019 has created an awkward backdrop for discussions of intensified cooperation across the Greater Bay Area development zone. I also recognise that slow progress is perhaps inevitable 18 months into a pandemic that has slammed all brakes on cross-boundary travel , and limited most exchanges to Zoom video calls. There is undoubtedly much more going on that is at present visible, but the rewards so far of three or more years of conferences, reports, and official-level meetings seem terribly thin. I say this as someone who is passionate to see progress. I see a multitude of benefits that can arise. Indeed, whatever the reservations of those anxious to protect Hong Kong’s autonomy, and to prevent erosion of “one country, two systems” after imposition of the national security law, I see closer integration into the Greater Bay Area as indispensable to Hong Kong’s future prosperity. It is at the same time critically important to Beijing as it looks to leverage the Greater Bay Area as a laboratory and prototype for what China (with its other two economic clusters around Beijing-Tianjin and around Shanghai) hopes to accomplish as it builds and strengthens the economy. I was pleased to see how the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reached out to San Francisco’s Bay Area Council Economic Institute, publishing last month a study on synergies between the business communities in the San Francisco Bay Area – the original “bay area” – and our own bay area. In truth, the Greater Bay Area – with a population of 72 million and gross domestic product of around US$1.6 trillion – is much more appropriately compared with fully-fledged countries like South Korea (GDP US$1.65 trillion), Canada (US$1.74 trillion), Australia (US$1.4 trillion) and Spain (US$1.39 trillion). But there is absolutely no harm in prosperous, dynamic regions like the San Francisco area considering stronger economic links with the Greater Bay Area. So the more studies like this, the better. Here in Hong Kong, where we urgently need to explore the practical realities of being part of the Greater Bay Area, more original thinking is needed. From my vantage point, far too much muscle-flexing has been focused on identifying the different strengths of the Greater Bay Area’s component parts. As our business lobbies in Hong Kong have spent much time bragging about our distinct strengths as a financial and professional services centre, and as a trading and logistics hub – at the same time calling for the region’s investment in these sectors to be channelled into Hong Kong – so Shenzhen has been boasting about its R&D and hi-tech manufacturing strengths, Foshan its manufacturing, R&D and logistics, Dongguan its white-goods manufacturing and modern agriculture, Macau its gambling and Lusitanian links , and so on. This is all very well, and having a clearer understanding of the characteristic strengths and weaknesses of the region’s municipalities has great value, but this is not where I see the greatest value of Greater Bay Area integration. Far more important is obtaining agreement across the region on improving critical infrastructure that will enhance the competitiveness and productivity of all businesses in the region. Lam’s non-speech said it all: Hong Kong and Shenzhen have swapped roles Some obvious examples have received close attention – like strengthening road and rail transport infrastructure, and developing a powerful 5G infrastructure that underpins the economy. But what about enabling unfettered movement of people working across the region; region-wide recognition of professional qualifications; harmonisation of corporate and personal tax arrangements ? What about coordination of the power grid, and development of common (high) environmental standards to become a pacesetter for China as a whole? What about stronger linkages across the region’s schools and universities, and Hong Kong students spending a year of secondary school at a school in the Greater Bay Area, and vice versa? What about integration of our health systems, so that residents can get equivalent health care wherever they might be working or living in the development zone? Cooperation to deliver common high-quality infrastructure across the region would strengthen the competitiveness of companies wherever they operate, and improve livelihoods radically. This way, by 2030 the Greater Bay Area will be comparing itself not with South Korea or Australia, but with Germany. Rivalries between the different administrations across the region can inevitably hinder regional integration. I can see lots of areas where our own administration, or that in Guangzhou or Guangdong, would choke on the idea of ceding policymaking power to a Greater Bay Area authority, no matter how beneficial such a move might be for our common livelihoods. This is where I believe we have much to learn from the decades-long evolution of the European Union, where political leaders from across 27 proud and distinct countries have found extensive common ground on where it makes sense to develop shared rules, standards and practices, while protecting national autonomy. We also have much to learn in developing, like the EU, region-wide professional organisations, think tanks, lobby groups where large numbers of experts can focus on the development of regional institutions, tackle region-wide problems and concerns, and agree on those areas where region-wide cooperation is superior to a municipality-by-municipality approach. That is undoubtedly one of the reasons why an official as competent and powerful as Vice-Premier Han Zheng has been brought in to head the leading group for developing the Greater Bay Area, and why this leading group is based in Beijing’s National Development and Reform Commission, rather than answering to local provincial or municipal officials. By now, I have had enough of “sound and fury, signifying nothing”. I hope Han has the vision and the clout to deliver substance. I hope our own administration can roll up its sleeves and contribute significantly to optimising the development of our region – even where this may involve a dilution of our own “autonomous” powers. As for us mere mortals, a good start would be to understand the Greater Bay Area better. When the Hong Kong-mainland boundary is opened, that might once again be possible. David Dodwell researches and writes about global, regional and Hong Kong challenges from a Hong Kong point of view