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Chief Executive John Lee announced yesterday (25 June) that he will lead a delegation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government to Guangzhou tomorrow (27 June) to attend the 24th Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference. The goal of the meeting is to summarize the achievements of cooperation in the past year on the one hand, and to plan the cooperation plan for the coming year on the other hand. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is one of the most open and economically dynamic regions in the country, and is expected to become the first of the four major bay areas in the world.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area generated an economic aggregate of 14 trillion yuan last year, an increase of nearly 40 percent from 10.8 trillion yuan five years ago. It has achieved the miracle of creating one-ninth of the country's total economic output with less than one percent of the country's land area. The Greater Bay Area is a vibrant and dynamic destination that will bring better development prospects to Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
Over the past five years, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong have maintained close exchanges and achieved results in jointly promoting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. After taking office, the new HKSAR Government led by John Lee has taken the initiative to integrate into the development and construction of the Greater Bay Area, and has set up the "Steering Group on Integration into the Overall Development of the Country", headed by the Chief Executive and chaired by three secretaries of secretaries, to strengthen leadership and further promote Hong Kong's integration into the Greater Bay Area.
Over the past year, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong have implemented a number of policies to promote integrated development, including the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme, the Greater Bay Area High-end Talent Mobility, the Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination, Sea-Air Cargo Intermodal Transport, "Hong Kong Vehicles Going North", Cross-border Data Flow, "Hong Kong Investment, Hong Kong Law, Hong Kong Arbitration", "Hong Kong-Macao Medicines and Medical Devices Connect", etc., bringing more opportunities for the development of related industries.
After the resumption of normal travel between the two places last year, residents of the two places have ushered in a "two-way travel", Hong Kong residents have continued to travel to the north, and the number of mainland residents visiting the south has gradually recovered, approaching the pre-epidemic level, and people-to-people exchanges between the two places have become more frequent. The Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, which is close to Hong Kong, have introduced a number of policies and measures to promote the integration of people's livelihood, making it more convenient for Hong Kong elderly to retire in the Greater Bay Area, and for Hong Kong young people to start businesses, work and study in the Greater Bay Area.
Over the past five years, Guangdong Province has focused on developing four important strategic platforms to connect with Hong Kong and Macao, including the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Loop, Shenzhen's Qianhai District, Guangzhou's Nansha District, and Zhuhai's Hengqin District. Hong Kong is also actively involved. At present, the development of these four platforms has reached a certain scale, and a number of enterprises in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have emerged, including innovative technology enterprises with world-leading technologies, advanced new energy enterprises that support green development, and some enterprises founded by young people in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. These enterprises have grown from scratch, from young to robust, witnessing the growth of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and bringing more hope to the future of the Bay Area.
Integration into the development of the Greater Bay Area is of great significance to Hong Kong. With a population of 87 million, 10 times that of Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) will continue to improve its economic aggregate and the quality of economic development, and the income level of GBA residents will continue to rise, and the requirements for quality of life will continue to increase. The need for a better quality of life for the 87 million residents in the Greater Bay Area is an important business opportunity for all sectors in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is the most internationalised city among the central cities in the Greater Bay Area, and has irreplaceable unique advantages. Only by integrating into the Greater Bay Area and complementing each other's advantages with the mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area can Hong Kong give full play to its unique advantages, lead the Greater Bay Area to the world, and drive Hong Kong's own development to achieve a better future.
Hong Kong's post-pandemic economic recovery has not been as expected, and it is facing multiple headwinds such as international geopolitical tensions and sluggish global economic recovery, while also having to overcome internal problems. By integrating into the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong will be better able to leverage the strength of the Greater Bay Area to face various challenges calmly.
The Chief Executive announced that in the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference, the HKSAR Government will focus on scientific and technological innovation, financial sector, medical and health care, cross-border transportation, investment and trade connectivity and other aspects. It is hoped that this meeting will make breakthroughs in these key areas and bring Hong Kong/Guangdong co-operation to a new level.
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