https://www.scmp.com/rss/513656/feed The "Greater Bay Area" refers to the Chinese government's scheme to link the cities of Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing into an integrated economic and business hub. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The challenges facing Hong Kong have never been greater in a fast-changing world that is being reshaped by new technology and shifting economic and political orders. But there are also enormous opportunities, given our unique role as China’s most open and internationalised economy. The Hong Kong government should continue to unite different sectors to play to their strengths under “one country, two systems” and develop in a way mutually beneficial to the country and the city. A top forum... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340148/greater-bay-area-collaboration-can-help-hong-kong-rise-challenges-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340148/greater-bay-area-collaboration-can-help-hong-kong-rise-challenges-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Ken Chu Ken Chu The Nobel Prize may not seem very relevant to many, but we can certainly draw lessons from its winners. Earlier this year, Peter Howitt – an honorary professor and fellow alumnus of Canada’s Western University – was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences with two other professors for work on innovation-driven economic growth. Howitt’s work helped formalise the concept of creative destruction, which explains how economies evolve through cycles of renewal, where new companies and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335769/how-hong-kong-can-capitalise-chinese-creative-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335769/how-hong-kong-can-capitalise-chinese-creative-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan China’s National Games marked a historic milestone this year: for the first time since the event’s inception in 1959, competitions were held throughout the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area – a clear sign of the region’s increasing connectivity and spirit of cooperation. Hong Kong achieved its highest medal tally, with nine golds, two silvers and eight bronzes, fostering pride in a city discovering a new level of confidence through sport. Behind every medal lies a personal story of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334268/national-games-underscored-ties-bind-hongkongers-rest-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334268/national-games-underscored-ties-bind-hongkongers-rest-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 21:30:11 +0000 Geoffrey Chan,Brad Kininmonth Geoffrey Chan,Brad Kininmonth For cities around the world, hosting the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games is often seen as both a prestigious honour and a daunting economic burden. The need to construct sports complexes, modernise transport networks and expand accommodation capacity can saddle hosts with debt and infrastructure that often falls into disuse post-Games. But what if the host has the DNA for hosting a successful Olympics and can surmount this financial strain? What comes to mind is the Greater Bay Area – a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324566/why-greater-bay-area-should-host-2036-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324566/why-greater-bay-area-should-host-2036-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Ken Chu Ken Chu With China’s 15th National Games set for November, Hong Kong’s preparations are well under way. From Kai Tak Sports Park cutting its teeth on international events to the mobilisation of 15,000 local volunteers with training and test events, the city’s preparations signal that the Games are more than a sporting event. It is a platform for rethinking how Hong Kong engages with its Greater Bay Area neighbours, the city’s youth and the nation as a whole. This year marks the first time that Hong... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3313213/hong-kongs-co-hosting-national-games-about-much-more-sport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3313213/hong-kongs-co-hosting-national-games-about-much-more-sport?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jun 2025 01:30:09 +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 In recent decades, much has been written – both by themselves and (mostly academic) outsiders – about the evolution, development and near disappearance of Eurasian communities across maritime Asia’s former colonies. From Anglo-Indians to Dutch Indos, Filipino Mestizos to Ceylonese Burghers, Hong Kong Eurasians to China Coast Portuguese, personal and family stories abound. Many of these stories are interwoven within broader experiences that link geographically scattered, seemingly disparate and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3265020/chinese-families-who-hid-past-inter-ethnic-mixing-and-result-forgot-their-own-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3265020/chinese-families-who-hid-past-inter-ethnic-mixing-and-result-forgot-their-own-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2024 00:15:08 +0000 Another week goes by, and there has been yet another easing of mainland policy that aims to support Hong Kong’s economic growth. The latest involves mainland business visa holders, who will be able to spend 14 days in the city or Macau, double the current seven, under a relaxation of rules that will take effect from May 6. Support for the two special administrative regions is to be welcomed. The move by the National Immigration Administration aims to encourage the growth of cross-border business... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3260843/extension-business-visas-double-delight-recovering-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3260843/extension-business-visas-double-delight-recovering-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Apr 2024 23:30:17 +0000 Nearly seven years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of the framework agreement on deepening cooperation between Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province as part of the Greater Bay Area, which was envisioned as a world-class cluster of cities in the Pearl River Delta. Some two years later, in 2019, the central government released a document outlining the direction for the bay area scheme as a unified economic hub. Since then, the Greater Bay Area has become one of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3253238/how-hong-kong-can-avoid-being-sidelined-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3253238/how-hong-kong-can-avoid-being-sidelined-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Feb 2024 01:30:11 +0000 Over the past few years, and more recently, commentators – often from afar – have tried to write off Hong Kong or say that our time is over. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hong Kong is at the heart of a newly emerging economic powerhouse with extraordinary growth potential. Our stock market ranks sixth in the Asia-Pacific by capitalisation, and ninth globally. London, a long-established economic and financial hub, ranks 11th. While the Hong Kong market has had a few tough years, it... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3252483/just-another-chinese-city-three-reasons-you-cant-write-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3252483/just-another-chinese-city-three-reasons-you-cant-write-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 01:30:10 +0000 It is more than two years since the Wealth Management Connect scheme, which allows individuals to tap cross-border investment funds in yuan and Hong Kong dollars, was launched with great fanfare alongside the stock and bond connect schemes introduced in 2014 and 2017, respectively. What set it apart from the beginning was that it is focused solely on the Greater Bay Area, unlike the other two that were rolled out nationally. But, since then, compared with the thriving northbound and southbound... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3236556/shake-benefit-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3236556/shake-benefit-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Oct 2023 22:15:10 +0000 The 86 million people of the Greater Bay Area face a future healthcare and retirement funding problem that Hong Kong can help to fix. Running out of money in retirement and no longer being able to afford quality healthcare are grim prospects that confront rapidly ageing societies. With one of the longest life expectancies in the world, Hong Kong knows these anxieties all too well. China as a whole is entering an era of rapid ageing too, bringing similar systemic worries but on a dramatically... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233473/ageing-hong-kong-can-be-greater-bay-areas-pensions-and-healthcare-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233473/ageing-hong-kong-can-be-greater-bay-areas-pensions-and-healthcare-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:00:07 +0000 It has been wonderful to see the return of Hong Kong’s vibrancy over the past few months. The government has done well to attract investors, businesses and tourists from across the world by launching a range of campaigns around the theme of “Hong Kong is back”. These efforts help retain our city’s status as an international hub for business and a destination for visitors. At this crucial moment, when there is a pressing need to strengthen our rebound by promoting Hong Kong’s unique advantages... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3224043/hong-kongs-young-talent-strength-must-be-strategically-nurtured?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3224043/hong-kongs-young-talent-strength-must-be-strategically-nurtured?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jun 2023 08:30:07 +0000 As the US marshals its allies to starve China of access to leading-edge technologies as part of the tech war, China has been forced to upgrade its innovation capabilities. To that end, it plans to cultivate Beijing as a global tech hub through initiatives such as the Beijing International Science and Technology Innovation Centre. After all, Beijing’s Zhongguancun is seen as China’s answer to Silicon Valley, and the capital city has some of the country’s top universities. In the latest Global... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3223846/us-led-tech-war-heats-connectivity-key-beijings-innovation-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3223846/us-led-tech-war-heats-connectivity-key-beijings-innovation-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jun 2023 19:00:09 +0000 Infrastructure mega-projects are controversial. They consume nail-bitingly large amounts of taxpayer money, invariably bump into unforeseen technical problems and often inflict environmental harm. They are always completed late and over the budget. And there are always groups who don’t share the project’s vision and will work to block its progress. Such groups, often self-interested, make it difficult for political decision-makers to gauge the largest community interest and weigh the costs and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215573/hong-kong-budget-red-regina-ip-not-wrong-question-costly-lantau-tomorrow-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215573/hong-kong-budget-red-regina-ip-not-wrong-question-costly-lantau-tomorrow-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:15:19 +0000 Let me recall a few past holidays. I fly into London Heathrow, take an airport bus to the car rental park and rent a car. Within an hour of landing, I am driving off to England’s west country or Stratford-upon-Avon to see a Shakespeare performance. Perhaps I catch a connecting flight to Edinburgh or a train up to York. Maybe in San Francisco, after a few days of scouring the city sights, I hire a car and drive down the coast to Monterey, taking a diversion into Yosemite National Park. In Geneva,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215417/boost-hong-kongs-tourism-appeal-easy-access-all-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215417/boost-hong-kongs-tourism-appeal-easy-access-all-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2023 07:46:08 +0000 Hong Kong has historically been a key cornerstone to China’s reform and opening up. As the city turns a new page, for it to serve its residents and the rest of the country at the same time, it must remain the most international, open and pluralistic city on Chinese soil. Indeed, our distinctive mixture of substantial economic freedoms, robust common-law jurisdiction and cosmopolitan ethos has seen this city go from strength to strength. Yet the world we live in today is experiencing an... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3213491/itself-and-china-hong-kongs-only-recipe-success-be-truly-international-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3213491/itself-and-china-hong-kongs-only-recipe-success-be-truly-international-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Mar 2023 22:30:09 +0000 When Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu foreshadowed Thursday’s relaunch of Hong Kong as a business and tourism destination, he exuded confidence that the city’s pandemic-stricken economy would get back to normal soon afterwards. The relaunch, a “Hello Hong Kong” promotion campaign worth at least HK$100 million (US$12.75 million) in its first phase, will now put that optimism to the test. It coincides with the expected removal of more impediments to free cross-border movement and then there is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3208915/hong-kong-its-unique-role-offers-great-deal-more-free-air-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3208915/hong-kong-its-unique-role-offers-great-deal-more-free-air-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Feb 2023 22:45:09 +0000 From October 16 to 22, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was successfully held in Beijing. I had the honour of attending the congress and was deeply encouraged and inspired by the report delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping on behalf of the party’s 19th Central Committee. The twice-a-decade event reviewed China’s achievements and experience over the past decade and provided a blueprint for transforming China into a modern socialist country and rejuvenating the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197951/chinas-path-modernisation-will-support-global-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197951/chinas-path-modernisation-will-support-global-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Nov 2022 08:30:12 +0000 A rivalry of cities is raging in East Asia. As Hong Kong was bogged down by the debate on its quarantine policy, Singapore was seen as overtaking its rival as the region’s leading global financial centre by actively attracting businesses, capital and talent that had lost confidence in Hong Kong. In the meantime, across Hong Kong’s northern border, the Shenzhen municipal government has pledged to develop the city into an international centre of financial technology by 2025. In the face of these... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197433/how-great-cities-hong-kong-shenzhen-and-singapore-can-save-globalisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197433/how-great-cities-hong-kong-shenzhen-and-singapore-can-save-globalisation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Oct 2022 01:45:09 +0000 The Hong Kong government must push forward the concept of a Shenzhen-Hong Kong “super twin” metropolis on its development agenda. Building on the constitutional principle of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong can take advantage of the “two systems” for the division of work within “one country”. Hong Kong and Shenzhen can complement each other through collaboration and exchange of talent. To achieve this, I propose nine approaches. First, relocate the Hong Kong government’s headquarters from... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3196551/how-hong-kong-and-shenzhen-can-be-linked-super-twin-metropolis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3196551/how-hong-kong-and-shenzhen-can-be-linked-super-twin-metropolis?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Oct 2022 01:15:09 +0000 The 43,000 school candidates who sat for Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education examinations this year must be spoiled for choice when there are 62,000 places on offer in undergraduate and sub-degree programmes at local tertiary institutions. This is good news for those hoping to pursue further studies. But this surplus of tertiary education opportunities spells trouble for self-financing institutions, which have already been facing difficulties in recruiting students, especially those... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3191734/pool-dse-takers-shrink-self-financing-tertiary-institutions-must?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3191734/pool-dse-takers-shrink-self-financing-tertiary-institutions-must?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2022 06:45:17 +0000 Real estate markets the world over are bearing the brunt of the fallout from the end of the era of cheap money. Being among the sectors most sensitive to the rise in interest rates, property markets are at the sharp end of central banks’ aggressive measures to bring inflation under control. Yet, monetary policy is just one of several headwinds blowing against the industry. Other policy-induced pressures include countries’ commitments to tackle climate change and a range of measures aimed at... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192181/macaus-property-market-has-taken-hard-knock-dice-are-loaded-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192181/macaus-property-market-has-taken-hard-knock-dice-are-loaded-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Sep 2022 08:00:23 +0000 Social media can be a double-edged sword for public figures. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has just had a taste of that. After making a splash on the mainland China microblogging site Weibo, those running his account caught a whiff that something might have gone wrong as complaints against the stench of a local landfill near the border with Shenzhen flooded in. The incident may have been a little embarrassing but it allowed Lee – the first Hong Kong leader to have a Weibo account – to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3191732/social-media-lesson-hong-kong-novice-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3191732/social-media-lesson-hong-kong-novice-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Sep 2022 23:30:20 +0000 Hong Kong’s position, both geographical and economic, offers many advantages in the development of fintech. Proximity to the hi-tech hub in neighbouring Shenzhen is one. Its complementary relationship with local banking needs is another. Unfortunately, they are being eroded by ongoing tough Covid-19 restrictions. A Google survey of top executives at fintech companies confirms what most in the industry already know: a “severe talent gap” has opened up due to intense competition from other hi-tech... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3190627/frustration-covid-controls-dent-hong-kongs-fintech-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3190627/frustration-covid-controls-dent-hong-kongs-fintech-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:00:26 +0000 Powerful forces are at work that will reshape Hong Kong’s commercial real estate landscape over the next 15 years. The emergence of technology and innovation businesses are key pillars of the city’s economy alongside the traditional financial, trade and services sectors. As the economy evolves to accommodate these additional enterprises, current commercial districts will be expanded, realigned and combined, and new clusters created. Significant R&D, office and transport infrastructure will also... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3189729/hong-kongs-evolving-economy-can-help-owners-and-occupiers-maximise-real?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3189729/hong-kongs-evolving-economy-can-help-owners-and-occupiers-maximise-real?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Aug 2022 04:01:24 +0000 The hype around innovation and technology (I&T) development in Hong Kong went into overdrive following President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Science Park in Tai Po. His visit highlighted the country’s strong support for the city developing into an international I&T hub as part of the vision for the Greater Bay Area to become a global science and technology innovation centre under China’s 14th five-year plan. From I&T officials to leading scientists and academics, much has been said about how we... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3189301/hong-kongs-it-ambitions-will-need-be-powered-triple-helix?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3189301/hong-kongs-it-ambitions-will-need-be-powered-triple-helix?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2022 22:45:21 +0000 Prenatal genetic tests, surgical robots and even sampling scoops that have been used on a mission to the moon: the innovations President Xi Jinping saw during his visit to the Hong Kong Science Park show the city’s enormous potential for putting research findings to real-life use. Yet, technology development in Hong Kong has been sluggish, and much effort is still needed for the city to evolve into China’s international innovation and technology hub, as envisaged by the president. On the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3188486/become-tech-hub-hong-kong-must-unleash-power-university-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3188486/become-tech-hub-hong-kong-must-unleash-power-university-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Aug 2022 06:15:12 +0000 During his two-day visit to Hong Kong marking 25 years since the handover, President Xi Jinping made clear his vision for the roles Hong Kong is to play in China’s growth: an international tech hub and an international financial centre. To China, being self-reliant in technology is no longer something that’s nice to have; it is essential, especially given the geopolitical landscape. The mainland’s advancement in software as a service (SaaS), artificial intelligence, mobility, cloud computing,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3187175/hong-kong-can-tap-ipo-potential-tech-start-ups-innovative-listing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3187175/hong-kong-can-tap-ipo-potential-tech-start-ups-innovative-listing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Aug 2022 22:45:15 +0000 While President Xi Jinping’s July 1 visit to Hong Kong was a clear sign of the city’s enduring importance to the central government and to China as a whole, the emigration of some 25,000 primary and secondary students in the 2020/21 academic year, according to local media estimates, casts a shadow over Hong Kong’s future prospects. Still, some 6 or 7 million people remain in Hong Kong with no immediate plans to leave, and we must keep it that way. Indeed, if we strive to make Hong Kong a more... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3186768/hong-kong-must-deepen-links-shenzhen-retain-and-attract?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3186768/hong-kong-must-deepen-links-shenzhen-retain-and-attract?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jul 2022 01:15:12 +0000