This year marks the fifth anniversary of releasing the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Over the past five years, the mega project, Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, has been completed, and initiatives like "Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect Scheme" and "Hong Kong-Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect" have been implemented. Besides, the policies of "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Macao Vehicles" have also been successfully launched. With just 0.6% of China's land area, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has generated one-ninth of the national GDP, emerging as one of the most open and economically dynamic regions in the country.
Physical connectivity: accelerating the development of the"one-hour life circle"
On June 30, 2024, Lingdingyang witnessed the opening of another "mega project"—Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. These mega projects have promoted the flow of various elements within the GBA, speeding up the development of the GBA.
In May of 2024, the four lines of the Guangdong Intercity Railway were connected, marking the first intercity railway across multiple cities in the GBA, linking Zhaoqing, Foshan, Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Huizhou from west to east. From Panyu District, Guangzhou, it takes just 30 minutes to reach Foshan and Dongguan, and 60 minutes to reach Zhaoqing and Huizhou, accelerating the development of a "one-hour life circle" in the GBA.
A series of measures for "physical connectivity" have shortened the physical distances within the GBA, and accelerated the integrated development of the GBA. For example, the opening of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and ports such as Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Control Point, Hengqin Port, and Qingmao Port, along with the implementation of the policies of "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Macao Vehicles".
Institutional connectivity: the GBA Connect initiative promotes regulatory and mechanism alignment
At the 135th Canton Fair this April, Kuang Yuqiu, a lawyer from Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), provided legal consulting services to participating enterprises. She is among the first four Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR lawyers authorized to practice in the nine cities of the GBA.
She commutes daily between Macao and Guangzhou, thanks to the "physical connectivity" of convenient facilities. The "institutional connectivity" of new cross-boundary practice policies has enabled her to become the first lawyer from Hong Kong and Macao to provide legal services at the Canton Fair.
This demonstrates the alignment of regulations and mechanisms among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. Over 140 administrative services are now available for cross-boundary processing; more than 3,000 professional qualifications have been mutually recognized; the "Hong Kong-Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect" has been successfully implemented, approving 24 drugs and 17 medical devices; and the innovative "Bay Area Social Security Service" has been implemented, with over 300,000 Hong Kong and Macao residents participating in pension, unemployment, and work injury insurance in Guangdong. These measures for "institutional connectivity" have accelerated the flow of talent and capital within the GBA, unleashing powerful momentum for high-quality development.
On-the-ground practice: "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" exceeds one million trips
Over the past five years, public security departments in Guangdong province have issued 95,000 vehicle permits for "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Macao Vehicles." Since the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, it has witnessed over 10 million cross-boundary vehicle trips.
The successful implementation of the policies of "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Macao Vehicles" has sparked a trend of travel between the north and south, bringing new impetus to the integration of the GBA.
Recent data shows that since the implementation of the scheme of "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles," the number of Hong Kong single-plated vehicles crossing the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has exceeded one million trips, marking a new milestone in the integration of the GBA.
Source | Yangcheng Evening News
