Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2020 | Page 43

Hong Kong Young Writers Awards 2020
an important expressway across the Pearl River and the Shenzhen - Zhongshan Bridge which
would significantly reduce travelling time. Through these improvements in transportation,
the workforce would be more inclined to explore employment within the whole Greater Bay
Area, making headway on distributing skilled workers throughout the region.
While this initiative proposed by China seems clear in how they will directly benefit
from it - with a greater economy and workforce as well as a more integrated region, less so
is said of the two SAR regions Hong Kong and Macau regarding their objectives within the
formation of the Greater Bay Area.
Given this initiative, the Hong Kong government has set its mission on two fronts. First
off, allowing the Greater Bay Area to serve as an attempt to break new ground for local
businesses. More importantly, for the initiative to be a step further in the practice of the
“One Country, Two Systems”. With this in mind, this mission is encompassed by six basic
principles: to be driven by innovation and led by reform, to coordinate development and
plan holistically, to pursue green development and ecological conservation, to open up inter-
regional cooperation to achieve a win-win outcome, to share the benefits of development
and improve people’s livelihood and to adhere to the “ One Country, Two Systems ”
whilst acting in accordance with the law. Finally, with these principles, Hong Kong has set
several goals: to develop as an international innovation and technology hub, to expedite
infrastructural connectivity, form a globally competitive modern industrial system, to take
charge in ecological conservation, to raise their quality of life, strengthen cooperation and
involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative as well as developing cooperation between
Guangdong and Macau.
As for Macau, their government has set its sights upon developing into a world-class
tourism and leisure centre along being a commercial trading service platform between China
and Portuguese speaking countries. Through this, they hope Macau will develop into an area
of diversified economies where the mainstream Chinese culture and diverse cultures coexist.
Due to the Macau SAR having close relations with Portugal - both sides maintaining closer
cultural, financial and legal exchanges - Macau possesses unique advantages in becoming a
commercial trading hub for Portuguese speaking countries, and along with the aid from the
mainland, will be able to break the constraints of being a micro-island economy. Furthermore,
by pursuing economic diversification as a long-term development goal, Macau has honed in on
nurturing emerging industries which will provide more avenues for their economy.
While both Special Administrative Regions stand to benefit from an integrated
economy, it does not come without its potential challenges. Despite the importance placed
on integration, research fellow Martin Chorzempa at the Peterson Institute for International
Economics in Washington has been quoted saying “An enormous amount of red tape
related to transport, customs, immigration will need to be cut to make it actually easy to
move people, goods and money between these areas.” This challenge for the region with its
different customs, legal systems and public services can already be found in the Hong Kong
- Shenzhen Express Rail Link customs arrangement. China will lease the “Mainland Port
Area” from Hong Kong - with this area compromising of the Chinese section of immigration
and customs, the waiting hall for departure as well as all platforms and trains. And within
this area, full Chinese law, both criminal and civil will prevail, even though physically
located on Hong Kong soil. With some concern already about the “One Country, Two
Systems” framework in place, passengers being able to complete both the Hong Kong and
Chinese clearance procedures under one roof has raised red flags for Hong Kong’s Special
Administrative Region status, along with its economic freedom.
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