GUANGZHOU: An economic researcher yesterday suggested that cities in the Pearl River Delta, located in South China's Guangdong Province, join together to form a megalopolis in the following years.

The move aims to increase their competitiveness and prominence in the globalizing world economy, according to Zhou Muzhi, a researcher from the Tokyo-based International Development Centre of Japan.

In his opening lecture at a seminar titled Development Strategy For Megalopolis, Zhou said a megalopolis will help propel the economy and create more business opportunities.

Dozens of experts, economists, researchers and government officials from the Chinese mainland, Japan and Hong Kong attended the seminar which took place yesterday in Guangdong's provincial capital and was jointly organized by the Department of Regional Economy of the State Development Planning Commission of China, Japan International Co-operation Agency, China Daily and the China Association of Mayors.

Wu Yimin, director of Guangzhou Municipal Planning Commission, said Guangzhou has already prepared to join forces with its neighbouring cities in the Pearl River Delta which borders Hong Kong and Macao. The municipal government has invested more than 60 billion yuan (US$7.23 billion) in the past five years in infrastructural construction to speed up its urbanization, Wu said. A metro and elevated railway network is now being built to link the city's new international airport, railway stations and port.

The Guangdong provincial government also plans to start construction of an advanced metro and a high speed light railway network connecting major cities in the prosperous delta during the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-05). The network, which consists of a railway length of more than 900 kilometres, will cost at least 90 billion yuan (US$10.84 billion).

Huang Weihong, director-general of the Guangdong Provincial Commission of Development Planning, said feasibility studies for the projects are now being conducted by foreign and domestic consultant companies.

 

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