Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2020complete | Page 17

Future Adventure of the Greater Bay Area
Ching Chung Hau Po Woon Primary School, Chan, Chung Hei Bradley - 12
The Greater Bay Area is China’s ambitious plan to link the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and
Macau with nine cities in the southern province of Guangdong, creating a single, grant economic blub. In
terms of GDP, size and Population, the region already surpasses the San Francisco Bay Area. Economically.
It still lags behind Greater Bay Area to lead the world by 2030. Under a Central Government blueprint,
major cities in the bay area will establish themselves as key hubs for different sectors. Hong Kong will be the
international finance, navigation and trade Centre, as well as transport hub. Macau will be an international
tourism city and a plat form for trading with Portuguese- speaking countries like Brazil. Guangzhou will
take a leading role as an administrative hub while Shenzhen will expand its leading role as a special
economic zone and tech hub. Dongguan is transforming itself from “the world’s factory” Into move of a
hi-tech Manu factoring base. Other cities in the region will also be involved, with the government already
spending billions on massive in infrastructure projects. The Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macau mega bridge and
the high – speed rail link from Hong Kong to the mainland are supposed to make it easier to travel between
the cities. Bur integration is not only about physical links. There are many other challenges ahead. Hong
Kong and Macau, both former European colonies, have their own legal, monetary and Political systems that
are separate from the Mainland. Anti-mainland sentiment in Hong Kong is a major hurdle to full
integration, with many in the city viewing closer ties as a threat to their unique identity. Another challenge
for the Greater Bay Area is attracting talented professionals and distributing them across all 11 cities. Most
will inevitably be drawn to the cities of Hong Kong, Macau and Guangzhou. Also, experts say that in order
for the Greater Bay Area to become a global net for companies keen to experiment, while Hong Kong
leader Carrie Lam has urged the cities to work together, there will be regional competition over
infrastructural development and professional talent. But planners say the benefits of collaboration are worth
tacking the challenges of making the Greater Bay Area dream a reality.