Editorial | Impressed Hong Kong delegates need to turn bay area insights into action
- Trip by Hong Kong officials and lawmakers to mainland China’s Greater Bay Area illustrated the benefits of cross-border cooperation and development
A four-day official visit to the mainland’s Greater Bay Area has seemingly left Hong Kong officials and lawmakers more than impressed.
The high-profile delegation returned yesterday with some insights on cross-border cooperation and development. Hopefully, they will be followed by concrete action plans that will drive economic growth and improve people’s livelihoods in the region.
Such a familiarisation trip was not the first of its kind. What set it apart was its timing and political context. Unlike previous occasions, which were often seen as ice-breaking opportunities for opposition lawmakers, this was the first official delegation comprising an all-patriot legislature and ruling team.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu described it as a showcase of solidarity aimed at deepening trust and collaboration. It also took place with Hong Kong seeking to reinvent itself.
The reopening of the border enables both sides to get together again and renew momentum in the development of the Greater Bay Area – a national strategy to turn Hong Kong and Macau together with nine mainland cities into an economic powerhouse.