A new roadmap to ‘world-class’ Greater Bay by 2035

The government of Guangdong is hoping that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area will achieve its goal of becoming a “world-class urban circle” within the next 16 years, according to the latest plan announced by Guangdong government. 

Last week, the Guangdong government released its latest development plan named “Opinions on building a new pattern of regional development ‘the one core, one belt and one area’ to promote regional coordinated development in the province.”

The Greater Bay Area world-class achievements have been included as sub-goals, under the broader objective of having “the whole province basically realized [as] a socialist modernization by 2035.”

According to the document, classified guidance suggests joining hands with Hong Kong and Macau to build the Greater Bay Area, and to accelerate the promotion of the Pearl River Delta innovation zone and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macau science and technology innovation center.

“One core” refers to the Pearl River Delta cities, which are the nine Greater Bay cities on the mainland.

“One belt” refers to seven cities in the Pearl River Delta and seven other cities west and east of the delta, including Shantou, Shanwei, Yangjiang and Chaozhou.

“One area” refers to cities situated in the northern district of Guangdong.

The document features general goals that the province wishes to achieve within a certain period. It suggests that an intercity transportation network be planned and built in Greater Bay Area, and nuclear and offshore wind power plants should be developed.

With respect to regional development, “importing Hong Kong and Macau’s high quality in terms of public services” is listed as a possible option.

The report also suggests “coordinating with Hong Kong and Macau to build three big science and technology innovation cooperation zones.”

As for the core cities, Zhuhai is to be developed into the core city of the Pearl River Delta’s west coast, while Shenzhen is to build itself into “a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics and an example of creating a socialist modernization power.”

The “one core, one belt and one area” new regional pattern should be “preliminarily” established by 2020 and “basically” established by 2022. Guangdong province should then achieve its socialism modernization by 2035.