https://www.scmp.com/rss/506846/feed Latest news, analysis, explainers and updates on policy announcements, corporate developments and investment opportunities focused on this particular city under the Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiative in southern China’s Pearl River Delta The coverage includes politics and policies, business, lifestyle and culture and useful to-do guides about living, working and studying in the GBA. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Oscar Liu Oscar Liu More than 5,000 Guangdong motorists have been approved to drive into Hong Kong’s urban areas under a southbound travel scheme as of March, while 90 per cent of the 3,500 travellers who booked to visit have stayed for one or two days. The Transport Department said on Sunday that the urban access portion of the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles arrangement was operating smoothly and had become increasingly popular since its launch near the end of 2025. The scheme currently grants access to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3351467/over-5000-guangdong-motorists-sign-hong-kongs-southbound-travel-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3351467/over-5000-guangdong-motorists-sign-hong-kongs-southbound-travel-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:01:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has finished digging the underwater section of a high-speed rail tunnel stretching more than 14km (9 miles) under a busy segment of the Yangtze River, as the country increasingly turns to vast subterranean passages to expand its railway network. The tunnel beneath China’s longest waterway, which will link Shanghai’s Chongming Island with Taicang city in neighbouring Jiangsu province, is on track to be completed by the end of the year, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The project will allow... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348533/how-china-building-faster-high-speed-railways-using-vast-underwater-tunnels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348533/how-china-building-faster-high-speed-railways-using-vast-underwater-tunnels?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:00:08 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong More than 700 mainland Chinese drivers have applied to enter Hong Kong’s urban areas under a new scheme starting on Tuesday, with transport authorities stressing that vehicles arriving through the policy will not worsen traffic conditions. Hong Kong’s Transport Department said on Thursday that the mainland car owners were among the 1,700 winners of a ballot that allowed them to apply for the scheme and was conducted by Guangdong authorities on November 23. “The booking quota is now set at 100... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3336872/over-700-mainland-chinese-drivers-apply-enter-hong-kong-under-travel-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3336872/over-700-mainland-chinese-drivers-apply-enter-hong-kong-under-travel-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 05:50:04 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Nearly 2,400 mainland Chinese drivers have applied for 1,700 spots under a much-awaited special scheme that allows them to drive their cars directly into urban areas of Hong Kong, according to Guangdong authorities. The Traffic Management Authority of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department said on Sunday that 2,388 drivers had submitted applications earlier this month for the first round of balloting. The 1,700 successful applicants selected by computer ballot on Sunday can expect... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3333989/nearly-2400-guangdong-drivers-apply-cross-border-entry-scheme-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3333989/nearly-2400-guangdong-drivers-apply-cross-border-entry-scheme-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:51:50 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau Motorists from four Guangdong cities will be able to apply to enter Hong Kong under a new travel scheme from Saturday, while applications to drive into urban areas will open on December 9, the government has announced. The government said on Friday that applications for the “Park and Fly” car park at the airport would open at 9am on November 1, with operations commencing at midnight on November 15. Both sides also agreed that eligible mainland Chinese applicants could submit applications from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3331060/hong-kong-expands-cross-border-access-guangdong-motorists-under-new-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3331060/hong-kong-expands-cross-border-access-guangdong-motorists-under-new-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:22:56 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,He Huifeng Phoebe Zhang,He Huifeng The global manufacturing centre of Guangdong in southern China has come to a halt as people brace for the most powerful typhoon to hit the region in recent years. On Tuesday morning, the province upgraded its typhoon alert to Level 1, the highest in a four-tier warning system, as officials declared “combat-ready” status in preparation for Super Typhoon Ragasa. More than 10 cities, including the technology hub Shenzhen, have announced the closure of all markets, schools, factories and transport... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326491/super-typhoon-ragasa-food-hoarding-transport-suspended-guangdong-braces-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326491/super-typhoon-ragasa-food-hoarding-transport-suspended-guangdong-braces-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:16:15 +0000 Ken Chu Ken Chu The Greater Bay Area development zone is one of the most economically dynamic regions in the world. With a population of over 86 million and a gross domestic product of around US$2 trillion, it connects global manufacturing hubs, financial centres, technology clusters and tourism destinations. As Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province become more integrated, they are also becoming more exposed to shared risks from extreme weather events. A disruption in one jurisdiction can quickly cascade... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322506/hong-kong-can-find-its-niche-greater-bay-area-climate-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322506/hong-kong-can-find-its-niche-greater-bay-area-climate-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Bridges literal and figurative are increasingly important for China. President Xi Jinping has called for building “bridges” in the form of international relationships that will support the national and global economy. Physical spans are also rapidly taking shape, including a new one connecting the mainland cities of Jiangmen and Zhuhai. The Huangmaohai Cross-sea Passage is expected to ease the flow of goods between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, the cluster of 11 cities in southern China... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3292967/link-leads-brighter-future-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3292967/link-leads-brighter-future-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2024 23:30:08 +0000 Enoch Yiu,Danny Mok,Peggy Sito Enoch Yiu,Danny Mok,Peggy Sito Lui Che-woo, who rose from humble beginnings selling peanuts and snacks to become one of Asia’s biggest casino magnates, with a portfolio of hotels, resorts and property in Hong Kong and Macau, has died. He was 95. Lui, the chairman and founder of the K. Wah Group of companies, died peacefully on November 7, according to filings to the Hong Kong stock exchange by K. Wah International, which develops property, and Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG), which operates a casino and resort in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3286122/lui-che-woo-hong-kong-property-and-casino-magnate-kwah-galaxy-dies-age-95?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3286122/lui-che-woo-hong-kong-property-and-casino-magnate-kwah-galaxy-dies-age-95?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:11:40 +0000 More border checkpoints between Hong Kong and mainland China will be open on a 24-hour basis in line with “actual needs”, the country’s top economic planning body has said in a three-year action plan designed to boost business in the Greater Bay Area. The National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC) also promised to “achieve breakthroughs” in measures to attract Hong Kong talent across the border, such as in occupational qualification recognition and commercial medical insurance. Chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3246300/more-hong-kong-border-checkpoints-mainland-china-operate-24-hours-bid-boost-business-greater-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3246300/more-hong-kong-border-checkpoints-mainland-china-operate-24-hours-bid-boost-business-greater-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Dec 2023 10:23:11 +0000 Hainan, an island roughly the size of Taiwan that has been dubbed China’s Hawaii for its tropical scenery and beaches, is being transformed into a world-class free-trade hub, with an independent customs regime set to be in place by the end of 2025. The free-trade port is expected to be a game-changer for China’s economy. The island will have a simplified visa policy for nationals from 59 countries, making it easier for foreigners to visit and do business. It will also be a centre for offshore... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3216325/how-will-chinas-hainan-free-trade-port-affect-greater-bay-area-and-asean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3216325/how-will-chinas-hainan-free-trade-port-affect-greater-bay-area-and-asean?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2023 21:00:14 +0000 China’s regulators will expand the cross-border investment channel with Hong Kong and Macau to encompass wealth management products, in a long-awaited move that will enhance Hong Kong’s standing as the offshore financial centre of the world’s second-largest capital market. The Wealth Management Connect has formally kicked off between Hong Kong, Macau, and the nine provincial cities in Guangdong known collectively as the Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to a statement by the Hong Kong Monetary... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3148293/wealth-management-connect-chinas-us465-billion-cross?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3148293/wealth-management-connect-chinas-us465-billion-cross?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Sep 2021 08:06:35 +0000 A Hong Kong-listed private education company with operations in the Greater Bay Area is expanding its colleges in mainland China as it takes advantage of the transport network, state support and cheap land amid a regulatory storm in the industry. Edvantage Group Holdings is expanding its Zhaoqing campus in Sihui, which it opened last September, and also the vocational college in Jiangmen’s Xinhui district that will start receiving students next month, company executives said. The two campuses... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3143391/hong-kong-listed-edvantage-presses-ahead-university-expansion-greater-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3143391/hong-kong-listed-edvantage-presses-ahead-university-expansion-greater-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 00:30:28 +0000 The city of Jiangmen, which is the hometown of many Chinese now living abroad, boasts many tourist attractions that showcase rich cultural traditions and long history. From Unesco-designated World Heritage Sites to a famous birdwatching location whose name was coined by the famous Chinese writer Ba Jin, here are five of the best-known attractions in the city, one of nine in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong that make up the Greater Bay Area along with Hong Kong and Macau. Kaiping... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3142328/unesco-heritage-sites-famous-birdwatching-spot-named-ba-jin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3142328/unesco-heritage-sites-famous-birdwatching-spot-named-ba-jin?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jul 2021 07:00:09 +0000 Hong Kong can connect the Greater Bay Area with the rest of the world, much like San Francisco’s role in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley Bay Area. Both cities are meeting grounds, according to a joint report released by US think tank Bay Area Council Economic Institute and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The report, “Bay to Bay China’s Greater Bay Area Plan and Its Synergies for US and San Francisco Bay Area Business”, released in the US overnight on Thursday, focuses on the... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3138582/hong-kong-can-connect-greater-bay-area-world-much-san-franciscos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3138582/hong-kong-can-connect-greater-bay-area-world-much-san-franciscos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:30:12 +0000 1. What is the size of the GBA's capital market? Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Macau can become Asia's largest. Learn more 2. What is the big deal about wealth management in the GBA? It is China's capital account reforms writ small. Learn more 3. What is Hong Kong’s role in the Greater Bay Area, according to China’s bank regulator? As the Greater Bay Area becomes a model of the country’s modernisation drive, Hong Kong will play a role in developing global innovation centres of science and... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3123073/17-things-you-may-not-know-about-southern-chinas-greater?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3123073/17-things-you-may-not-know-about-southern-chinas-greater?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:18:54 +0000 Beijing is the world’s most competitive city in the era of Covid-19, as the Chinese capital’s successful containment of the infectious disease amid a worldwide pandemic elevated it to the top of an annual ranking amid curtailed travelling and upended economic activities, according to the study’s author. Beijing was ranked highest because of the number of co-authored scientific research papers published, according to the 2020-2021 Global Urban Competitiveness Report by the Chinese Academy of... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3113168/beijing-rises-worlds-most-competitive-city-covid-19-saps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3113168/beijing-rises-worlds-most-competitive-city-covid-19-saps?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Dec 2020 06:00:17 +0000 Jiangmen, on the western fringe of the Greater Bay Area, has a proud manufacturing tradition focusing heavily on motorbikes, lighting, car parts and clothing. Its industrial sector is undergoing a modernisation, increasingly geared toward new energy, medical equipment and high-end manufacturing. As a result the city of 4.63 million people in Guangdong province is attracting new companies wishing to set up production bases there. But its future role in the bay area – Beijing’s plan to integrate... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3100438/city-jiangmen-needs-signature-company-shenzhens-tencent-thrive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3100438/city-jiangmen-needs-signature-company-shenzhens-tencent-thrive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2020 00:30:15 +0000 The Greater Bay Area (GBA) of southern China can provide Hong Kong with the potential market and the growth driver for taking the city’s economy out of its worst recession in decades, and a grant by local authorities to funds start-ups is still up for grabs, said Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po. As job prospects dim amid Hong Kong’s recession, up to 4,000 young people can reach for the HK$100 million (US$13 million) grant set aside to fund as many as 200 start-ups throughout the 11 cities... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3100237/hong-kongs-exit-recession-market-space-jobs-and-labour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3100237/hong-kongs-exit-recession-market-space-jobs-and-labour?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2020 09:15:14 +0000 The Jiangmen government’s recently launched campaign to develop its nighttime economy and stimulating growth affected by the coronavirus pandemic is a step in the right direction, say analysts but some residents say the programme falls short of expectations. Jiangmen, a city of 4.63 million people in Guangdong province that is also part of Beijing’s Greater Bay Area development zone, launched the programme that runs up to late October to “develop its nighttime economy and drive consumption... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3099323/bay-area-city-jiangmen-seeing-importance-nighttime-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3099323/bay-area-city-jiangmen-seeing-importance-nighttime-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2020 05:48:22 +0000 Jiangmen is investing billions of yuan on more than a dozen new schools in anticipation of demand for quality education from immigrant families moving to the Greater Bay Area city, improving living standards and population growth following China’s abolition of the one-child policy. At least 17 school projects are under construction in Jiangmen, with five set to open in September when the new school term starts, according to information compiled by real estate services provider Leju. When... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3099295/jiangmen-invests-quality-education-raise-its-greater-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3099295/jiangmen-invests-quality-education-raise-its-greater-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2020 05:00:20 +0000 Jiangmen, a city in Guangdong province that is also part of Beijing’s Greater Bay Area development zone, is attracting interest from mainland Chinese as well as Hong Kong-based property developers. Several companies are looking at the city of 4.6 million people that is about two to three hours from Hong Kong by train or ferry, because of its low land prices and development potential. It sold eight residential land plots totalling 1.67 million square metres in June, its highest tally since 2018,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3098796/hong-kong-mainland-property-developers-drawn-greater-bay-area-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3098796/hong-kong-mainland-property-developers-drawn-greater-bay-area-city?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2020 06:00:16 +0000 Land adjacent to railway stations in the Greater Bay Area may become a battlefield for Hong Kong developers as rental income and capital appreciation from properties close to transport links are likely to generate big returns, according to property executives and agents. In the next three to five years, 18 stations – some under construction, some already operating – will be offered for tender, with high potential to be developed under the so-called transport-oriented-development (TOD) model.... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3097554/competition-heats-hong-kong-developers-take-mainland-chinese-rivals-buy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3097554/competition-heats-hong-kong-developers-take-mainland-chinese-rivals-buy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2020 09:14:56 +0000 The outlook for Jiangmen’s housing market looks positive, buoyed by the loose buying restrictions, low-interest rate regime, high liquidity and ongoing economic recovery following the coronavirus outbreak. One economist expects prices in the ‘minor’ Greater Bay Area city to rise by about 5 per cent through year end. “Jiangmen’s housing market is gradually picking up,” said Li Yujia, senior economist and assistant to officer at Guangdong Urban and Rural Planning and Design Institute, a policy... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3096888/jiangmens-housing-sector-has-scope-growth-its-minor-status-puts-shade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3096888/jiangmens-housing-sector-has-scope-growth-its-minor-status-puts-shade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2020 08:00:23 +0000 Jiangmen ranks as the second poorest city in the Greater Bay Area. Yet, it is rich in its own way, counting a casino tycoon, an ex-NBA star, the king of oyster sauce, and a host of Hong Kong’s film stars among its famous natives and benefactors. The city of 4.6 million people in the southernmost part of Guangdong province – about two to three hours from Hong Kong by train or ferry – thrives with millions of natives overseas, including tycoon Lui Che-woo of casino operator Galaxy Entertainment... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3096198/jiangmen-greater-bay-area-laggard-counts-casino-tycoon-ex-nba-star-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3096198/jiangmen-greater-bay-area-laggard-counts-casino-tycoon-ex-nba-star-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2020 00:30:08 +0000 Zhuhai, one of the two destinations of the world’s longest sea bridge from Hong Kong, has the biggest potential upside for homebuyers out of the nine mainland Chinese cities that form the Greater Bay Area, according to Hong Kong-based Real Estate Foresight. Although new home price growth in Zhuhai was one of the weakest in the bay area cities over the past 12 months, it has outperformed the rest in sales transactions in the same period, the research firm said. The bridge connecting the city to... https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/3009883/zhuhais-proximity-hong-kong-and-macau-should-make-it-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/3009883/zhuhais-proximity-hong-kong-and-macau-should-make-it-one?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 May 2019 04:00:18 +0000 Jiangmen handed over an official document reaffirming the city's plans to scrap a proposed uranium processing plant yesterday after residents refused to believe that the project was dead. The formal red-letter statement was released after more than 2,000 protesters marched on the municipal government headquarters - the third such rally in as many days - to secure written assurances that Jiangmen officials would stick by their promise on Saturday to withdraw the project. Even public appearances... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1282776/jiangmen-government-gives-written-pledge-scrap-uranium-processing-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1282776/jiangmen-government-gives-written-pledge-scrap-uranium-processing-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Jiangmen authorities have scrapped plans for a controversial uranium processing plant after protests by local residents and opposition from Hong Kong and Macau. The abrupt withdrawal of plans for the 37 billion yuan (HK$46.4 billion) plant, which could have provided enough fuel to meet half the country's nuclear power needs, came just a day after more than 2,000 people gathered to protest against its construction. It is the latest in a series of industrial projects to be cancelled amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1281748/jiangmen-uranium-plant-scrapped-after-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1281748/jiangmen-uranium-plant-scrapped-after-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2013 03:27:41 +0000 Several hundred people gathered in Jiangmen's city centre on Friday morning to protest against a planned uranium processing plant in the Guangdong city. “Jiangmen doesn't want radiation", one banner carried by demonstrators said. "We want children, not atoms," said another. Police appear to have been anticipating the protest with Jiangmen city government building being cordoned-off. One group of protesters gathered in front of the building, another group meet at the Donghu Lake park.  Two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1280894/jiangmen-residents-protest-against-uranium-processing-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1280894/jiangmen-residents-protest-against-uranium-processing-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2013 02:05:42 +0000 Anyone disillusioned by current affairs in Hong Kong might want to look for a salve in Jiangmen. It's a 21/2-hour ferry ride to the western side of the Pearl River Delta, but half of that is spent cruising up a major source of our water supply, the West River. Turning inland just after Macau, you quickly leave the world behind, swapping cars and gaudy casinos for buffaloes and ornamental watchtowers. It is an easy place to escape your anxiety over whether Hong Kong will ever get an accountable... https://www.scmp.com/article/453859/jiangmen-search-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/453859/jiangmen-search-future?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Apr 2004 16:00:00 +0000