Three different currencies
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China’s bay area plan
China’s Bay Area, a region surrounding the Pearl River Delta in the country’s southern-most province, has grown from an agricultural area in the 1980s to Asia’s largest and most populous urban area, having leapfrogged the Tokyo Bay area’s population in 2010.
The main players
... and what they say
Since becoming a global manufacturing hub, China’s Bay Area now generates nearly 10 per cent of China’s gross domestic product with less than 5 per cent of the population.
China's industrial output is dominated by manufacturing. The Bay Area Plan aims to turn it into a centre of advanced manufacturing, innovation, international shipping, finance and trade.
One of the plan’s objectives is to allow travel between the 11 cities within one hour. Infrastructure is being put in place to make this ambition a reality.
Greater connectedness between the three jurisdictions presents a few problems given their different legal systems and currencies.
The genesis of a bay area plan
Zhang Xiaoqiang
China Center for International Economic Exchanges executive deputy head
By 2020, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area is planned to become one of the world’s top-level economic regions, forming the basic framework for a world-class cluster of cities ... The area will see substantial improvement in its strength in global cooperation and competition, and ascend to the forefront of city clusters by 2030.
Pony Ma Huateng
Tencent CEO
We know full well how much a headache it is for our Hong Kong staff, commuting between the city and the Chinese mainland everyday.
Working and living in the Bay Area today remains quite different from what it would be like in Hong Kong and Macau.
Paul Chan Mo-po
Financial Secretary of Hong Kong
The Bay Area carries a lot of potential for Hong Kong.
As an international financial centre, Hong Kong offers a freer market than cities on mainland China. Our sound legal system and our strong global connections to the rest of the world enable Hong Kong to play a super-connector role.
Yue Yi
Bank of China (Hong Kong) vice-chairman and chief executive
With a sophisticated market, coupled with the advantage of two political systems within the one country, and competitiveness in production and industries, the aggregate economy of the Bay Area is poised to exceed the Tokyo Bay area as the world’s largest economic cluster by 2025.
Jonathan Choi Koon-shum
Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce
The area would become a “one-hour life circle” that would allow people to travel between home and work, all within a one-hour radius.
"I believe the Bay Area will grow into the world’s largest bay area in terms of GDP within 10 years."
Delta in 1988
Delta in 2014
Hong Kong
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Huizhou
Guangzhou
Foshan
Zhongshan
Jiangmen
Zhuhai
Macau
Zhaoqing
Geo scaleGDP scalePopulation scale
Source
Guangdong Statistics Bureau, Macau Statistics and Census, Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department
Hong Kong
Macau
Guangzhou
Shenzhen
Zhuhai
Foshan
Zhongshan
Dongguan
Huizhou
Jiangmen
Zhaoqing
0
50%
100%
Rail
Road
Sea
Planned or under construction
Hong Kong
Macau
Guangzhou
Shenzhen
Zhuhai
Foshan
Zhongshan
Dongguan
Huizhou
Jiangmen
Zhaoqing
Currency
Immigration
Traffic rules
Border checks
Mainlanders drive on the right, others on the left
2006
Three jurisdictions: Macau, Hong Kong and Guangdong province, begin regional strategic planning study.
2008
China’s State Council spreads its "Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008 - 2020)"
2009
Study begun in 2006 concludes with recommendations to "jointly investigate the future development strategy" for the bay area.
2010
Another study commences, aiming to map out a bay area action plan. In it, the bay area is given more form incorporating the 8,680 square kilometre Pearl River Delta waters and 19 districts on its shores: a 6,890 square kilometre land area.
2015
Building the bay area included in vision for the Belt and Road initiative.
March 2017
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang includes the Bay Area in his work report at the National People’s Congress, considered its official debut.
July 1 2017
Framework agreement on development of the bay area signed during 20th anniversary celebrations for Hong Kong’s return to China.
2020
Bay Area to be "almost fully established"
2030
Area to have highest GDP among global bay areas, including Tokyo, New York and San Francisco.