Chinese vice-premier Han Zheng visits Shenzhen to promote Greater Bay Area project
Han tells local leaders to shelve rivalries and focus on supporting economic integration push
The top state leader in charge of China’s ambitious “Greater Bay Area” project visited the hi-tech hub of Shenzhen on Tuesday, reflecting Beijing’s determination to transform Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland Chinese cities into a financial and innovation powerhouse to rival Silicon Valley.
Vice-Premier Han Zheng was there also to make clear to local leaders they should shelve any intercity rivalries and focus on making the megaproject work, experts said, as Beijing prepared to roll out a blueprint detailing the role each of the 11 cities would play in the economic integration plan.
Han, ranked No 7 in the Communist Party hierarchy, is in charge of China’s regional development and Hong Kong and Macau affairs.
Two sources who spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity confirmed that one of Han’s stops in Shenzhen was Qianhai, an area in the city designated as a testing ground for China’s financial opening and economic cooperation with Hong Kong.
An official at a state company in Qianhai, who asked not to be named, also confirmed that Han had visited Qianhai. The former Shanghai party chief and city’s mayor is expected to visit other bay area cities, including Guangzhou, this week.