On strengthening regional coordination and building an interconnected development zone between Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao

To drive future economic development and create new growth engines, Hong Kong must further capitalize on its role as an international gateway and hub to mainland China. Enhancing the division of labor and cooperation with cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA)—including industrial specialization, transportation infrastructure connectivity, and the construction of cross-regional cooperation zones—is critical for this endeavor.

In May this year, the metro systems of Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Dongguan, and Huizhou in the GBA achieved mutual connectivity. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor has become operational, and the Shenzhen-Jiangmen Railway, which will connect Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nansha, Zhongshan, and Jiangmen, is expected to be operational next year. Additionally, plans are underway for the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Corridor, a combined rail and road bridge linking Shenzhen and Zhuhai, situated between the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor. Guangzhou is also planning to build five general airports to develop the low-altitude economy and high-speed maglev routes to other megacities. Furthermore, Guangzhou has established a comprehensive trade and logistics hub centered in Nansha, integrating sea, land, air, and rail transportation, allowing trains from Nansha Port to reach inland Europe in 15 days. Meanwhile, Shenzhen is actively developing into a core hub of global bay areas, featuring key ports, an international aviation hub, comprehensive domestic transportation channels, and a global logistics hub city. With the construction of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, the Shenzhen-Jiangmen Railway, and the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Corridor, Shenzhen's status as an economic and transportation hub in the GBA will be further enhanced.

Clearly, the two core cities of the GBA—Guangzhou and Shenzhen—are actively enhancing their transportation hubs, forming a comprehensive transportation network with surrounding cities and provinces across the country, thereby attracting passengers, cargos, and capital. In contrast, Hong Kong's progress in transportation infrastructure development has been slower, primarily due to a fragmented planning approach that lacks an overarching strategy. Currently, Hong Kong's connection with cities on the western side of the Pearl River Delta relies solely on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. This setup lacks direct high-speed rail or urban rail links, requiring passengers to transit through Shenzhen to access the mainland's high-speed rail network. This situation places Hong Kong significantly behind its neighboring cities. For instance, while neighboring cities have multiple high-speed rail stations, Hong Kong has only the West Kowloon station. This lag in transportation infrastructure restricts urban space and economic development in Hong Kong

Since the release of the "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" in 2019, the Chinese government has launched four major cooperation platforms in the GBA: Hengqin, Qianhai, Nansha, and Lok Ma Chau Loop. These platforms include the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, the Nansha Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Comprehensive Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone in the Lok Ma Chau Loop. Additionally, there are inter-city cooperation zones such as the Shenzhen-Shantou Cooperation Zone and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Economic Cooperation Zone. The highest level of cooperation is the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, which covers an area of about 106 square kilometers and is governed jointly by the Governor of Guangdong Province and the Chief Executive of Macau. Recently, Hengqin has attracted significant projects, including CATL and Airbus Helicopters, thanks to the active promotion by senior officials from Guangdong Province and the Macau SAR government.

Shenzhen and Zhongshan are leveraging the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor to explore new models of industrial integration, creating a high-end industrial cooperation chain across the Pearl River estuary. In June last year, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Economic Cooperation Zone was unveiled, covering a planned area of 66 square kilometers. This zone marks the transition of industrial cooperation across the Pearl River Estuary from scattered, enterprise-led efforts to structured industrial clusters.

For traditional manufacturing enterprises, transportation and logistics are crucial. However, modern industries are shifting from labor-intensive to technology and capital-intensive forms, with services playing an increasingly key role in manufacturing. Convenient transportation is essential, with a focus on speed, ecosystem efficiency, and resource flow. The GBA is entering an era of a low-altitude economy, where drone transport will enable rapid component distribution between factories in different cities. Moreover, executives and R&D talent demand higher standards of urban transportation and living convenience, making high-speed rail, urban rail, and low-altitude travel the most common transportation modes of the future.

Government involvement in major project planning is becoming increasingly significant, with cross-regional cooperation leveraging the roles of both local governments to promote major projects. Although Shenzhen and Hong Kong are actively advancing the Lok Ma Chau Loop Cooperation Zone, it still requires considerable time to develop due to surrounding environmental, transportation, and industrial support constraints. Besides the Lok Ma Chau Loop, Hong Kong can also leverage its international airport hub and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to link up with Macau, Hengqin, and Zhuhai, promoting the development of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao linkage zone. The opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor offers new opportunities for coordinated development between the cities on both sides of the Pearl River Estuary. Hong Kong should utilize its airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to establish deep cooperation with Macau and Zhuhai and further expand collaboration with Zhongshan and Jiangmen. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao linkage zone could build on the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, leveraging the bridge to promote Hong Kong-Macau-Hengqin integration.

The author offers several targeted recommendations for enhancing regional integration and transportation efficiency. First, consider relocating the Hong Kong checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The vacated checkpoint island could transform into part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao cooperation zone, integrating more deeply with Macau, Hengqin, and Zhuhai, and facilitating seamless personnel and cargo clearance. Additionally, the island could be expanded through land reclamation to create additional industrial space. Second, the Kwai Tsing container terminals should be relocated to Lantau Island, to integrate with Hong Kong Airport for air-sea transport synergy. Third, establish a dual-purpose rail line at Hong Kong Airport for both passenger and cargo transport, connecting with the mainland's high-speed rail network for passenger services and the China-Europe freight train network through Shenzhen for cargo services. This would establish an integrated multi-modal "air-sea-rail" transport system.

The envisioned Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao linkage zone will encompass three major airports, advanced port facilities, and a high-speed rail network, interconnected via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. This connectivity could enable the three regions to focus on sectors such as aviation and aerospace, marine technology, conventions and exhibitions, and life and health sciences. Joint efforts by Hong Kong and Macau to garner national backing would be instrumental in facilitating the establishment of major research facilities and key laboratories in the linkage zone, thereby promoting advanced manufacturing industries. With effective utilization of the bridge, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao linkage zone could reinforce Hong Kong's position as an international aviation and shipping center while leveraging mainland resources to rejuvenate Hong Kong's industries.