Guangdong Province has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to propel the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), positioning itself as the primary engine for regional advancement. The blueprint, released as part of the province’s recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), outlines ambitious plans to transform the 11-city cluster into a global innovation and industrial hub through enhanced collaboration with Hong Kong and Macao.
The strategic framework emphasizes three core pillars for achieving deeper integration: strengthening infrastructure connectivity, aligning regulatory mechanisms, and fostering people-to-people exchanges. Guangdong will work closely with the two special administrative regions to establish multilayered consultation channels and develop a comprehensive cooperation architecture that facilitates seamless regional coordination.
Key cooperation platforms in Qianhai, Hengqin, and Nansha will receive heightened focus as testing grounds for policy innovation and regional integration. The Hengqin cooperation zone will accelerate integration with Macao through an optimized ‘separate line management’ system and accelerated development of four target industries: sci-tech research and high-end manufacturing, traditional Chinese medicine, cultural tourism and conventions, and modern finance. This initiative directly supports Macao’s strategic objective of economic diversification.
Nansha will evolve into a hub for high-tech and port-adjacent industries, while Guangzhou’s free trade zone transforms into a comprehensive service center for Chinese enterprises expanding overseas.
Academic experts highlight the GBA’s potential to emerge as the world’s largest economic hub and a global leader in technological innovation by 2035. Professor Zheng Yongnian of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) notes that while Guangdong still faces technological gaps, the province should focus on building large-scale scientific systems to nurture productive forces and accelerate applied technology commercialization.
However, challenges remain in cross-boundary factor flows, including professional qualification recognition, cross-boundary financing, and data transfer mechanisms. As Assistant Professor Dai Zhipeng of Shenzhen MSU-BIT University observes, ‘Cross-boundary integration not only involves regulatory frameworks but also social and administrative systems. The fundamental breakthrough lies in system and rule alignment.’