Can Hong Kong get fully behind the idea of a southern China megalopolis?

There have been numerous calls for greater integration with Guangdong and Macau since the return of Hong Kong to China. In 2011, a paper termed “Study on the Action Plan for the Bay Area of the Pearl River Estuary” was rolled out jointly by authorities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau to coordinate regional development. The term “bay area” is also found in Hong Kong’s strategic planning blueprint, the “Hong Kong 2030 Plus” plan.

But this concept of closer integration was elevated to a national strategic level for the first time when Premier Li Keqiang ( 李克強 ) proposed building a “city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area” in his government work report at the National People’s Congress meeting last week. Li pointed out that this would give “full play to the distinctive strengths of Hong Kong and Macau, and elevate their positions and roles in China’s economic development and opening up”.

Firstly, this “greater bay area” idea is in line with the nation’s goal to better manage its sprawling megalopolises for Beijing in the north, Shanghai in the central region and the “tri-cities” comprising Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the south, according to the head of the National Development and Reform Commission He Lifeng (何立峰), who spoke at a press briefing a few days after Li’s delivery of the work report.