Accelerating the exploration of "city cluster/metropolitan area" development with Hong Kong

Accelerating the exploration of "city cluster/metropolitan area" development with Hong Kong characteristics

Zhang Yuge

Institute of Hong Kong, Macau and Regional Development, China (Shenzhen) Institute of Comprehensive Development

On the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, the practice of "one country, two systems" has achieved universally recognized success, and has made a major turnaround from chaos to governance, and is now at a critical stage from governance to prosperity. Hong Kong's distinctive feature is that it is a "global city with borders", which is both an advantage and a constraint, and we must build on our strengths and avoid our weaknesses in order to achieve sustainable development. Looking ahead, in the face of the "unprecedented changes of the century" and at the important juncture when "one country, two systems" is halfway through its "50 years of no change", we must deeply integrate into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and accelerate the exploration of Hong Kong's It is important and urgent to explore the development path of "city cluster/metropolitan area" with characteristics of Hong Kong.

I. The development of "city cluster/metropolitan area" is a global trend

In today's era, the era of cities fighting alone and developing individually has come to an end, and relying on city clusters/metropolitan areas to promote urban development has become the primary choice and the necessary path for cities around the world. The development space of cities is no longer limited to administrative boundaries, but can be interconnected with neighboring cities and share a broader space through developed comprehensive transportation and frequent information networks; the integration of factors and resources is not only limited to administrative districts, but also in enclaves inside and outside the cities. With the help of hardware and software infrastructure construction, it has become a global trend to promote the integration of factors and resources in a large area and wide coverage, and to continuously optimize and improve the functional structure of cities through the synergistic development of city clusters/metropolitan areas. Global cities such as New York, London and Tokyo do not survive and develop as a single city, but are increasingly dependent on the surrounding city clusters/metropolitan areas, and their global status and influence, to a certain extent, also depend on the overall strength and competitiveness of their city clusters/metropolitan areas. The development of these cities vividly illustrates the connotation and essence of the "city cluster/metropolitan area" development model. This development trend is becoming more and more prominent with the profound changes and influences such as the intensification of "counter economic globalization", the rise of protectionism, the spread of the new pneumonia epidemic, and the increase of information technology application scenarios. City clusters/metropolitan areas have not only become an important support for urban development, but also an important platform for the country to exert its influence.

II. Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a city cluster/metropolitan area supporting Hong Kong

City clusters and metropolitan areas are national development strategies and important platforms for supporting national economic growth, promoting coordinated regional development and participating in international competition and cooperation. Among them, a metropolitan area is a spatial form within an urban agglomeration centered on a mega mega city or a large city with strong radiation-driving function, and with a one-hour commuting circle as the basic scope. In this regard, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is essentially a city cluster and metropolitan area strategy that forms an important support for the development of Hong Kong. In addition to its own factors, national support is an important support for Hong Kong's global city status, while regional cooperation and synergistic development among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are important paths for Hong Kong to better integrate into the national development landscape. From the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008-2020) to the Outline of the Development Plan for the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, Hong Kong has an important position in it. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, in particular, offers more possibilities for Hong Kong to link up and integrate with neighboring cities in a deeper and broader way under the principle of "one country, two systems". With deeper integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong will have more market space and more factor resources to explore a wider range of internal issues such as economic transformation, industrial development, housing supply, employment optimization, elderly care and poverty alleviation. In short, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area provides a broad space for the development of Hong Kong's "city cluster/metropolitan area".

3. Accelerate the exploration of the development of "city cluster/metropolitan area" with Hong Kong characteristics

The so-called "Hong Kong characteristics" is "one country, two systems". Since the handover, the development of "city cluster/metropolitan area" with Hong Kong characteristics has already begun. At this critical period from governance to prosperity, it is necessary to keep pace with the times and accelerate the exploration. To continue to strengthen the national positioning and functions of Hong Kong's "eight centers and two hubs" and to effectively solve the long-standing deep-rooted conflicts and problems in Hong Kong, we should not be confined to the limited space in Hong Kong, nor should we rely on Hong Kong's own strength. The objectives, priorities and ways of developing Hong Kong through city clusters/metropolitan areas should be further clarified. First, Hong Kong's traditional advantages have been affected and challenged, and need to be consolidated and enhanced by city clusters/metropolitan areas. For example, the international financial center needs to guard against risks and uncertainties, the international shipping center needs to accelerate its transformation, the international trade center needs to cope with structural changes and strengthen functional synergies, the tourism and related industries have been hit hard by the epidemic and need to speed up their recovery, etc. Secondly, Hong Kong's potential advantages have not yet been developed, and need to be nurtured and developed through city clusters / metropolitan areas. For example, the construction of an international innovation and technology center has just started, and it needs to introduce mainland science and technology innovation factor resources and deepen relevant cooperation; the international legal service and intellectual property trade center faces international competition and needs to continue to expand the service radiation; the construction of a Chinese and foreign cultural and art exchange center needs to be coordinated with internal and external, linking the East and West, and accelerated, etc. Thirdly, the Northern Metropolis is a major development strategy for Hong Kong and needs to be accelerated with the help of city clusters/metropolitan areas. The northern metropolitan area focuses on developing innovation and technology industries and increasing housing supply, which is a major initiative to solve Hong Kong's deep-rooted conflicts and problems. However, Hong Kong has a shortage of resources for innovation and technology industries and shortcomings in engineering and construction capacity and efficiency, and needs to speed up construction with the external resources and strength of the city cluster/metropolitan area.