Economic Development

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are the three major metropolitan areas of China's economic layout, radiating and driving the development of the northern, central and southern regions. President Xi Jinping visited Xiongan New Area last week, accompanied by three members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, who proposed to make the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region a pioneer and demonstration area for Chinese-style modernization. With similar positioning, only Shenzhen is a pioneer demonstration zone for socialism with Chinese characteristics and Shanghai Pudong is a leading zone for socialist modernization. This means that Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei will set up different reform pilots and have a variety of national-level policy dividends. This "thousand-year plan" has once again become the focus of attention.

At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Vice Premier Liu He announced that China's door will continue to be open to foreign investment, convincing global leaders that the economic vitality unleashed by China is the hope of boosting global growth. Three years after the dynamic was cleared, strict domestic lockdowns were relaxed, and Hong Kong raced against time to restart cross-border transportation. The market gradually showed signs of recovery, and the Lunar New Year was full of joy and peace. Customs clearance between the two places is the first step towards a full return to normal, and is also a good start for the new development of the Greater Bay Area.

The spread of the epidemic has remained at a low level, and Hong Kong has been continuously integrating with international activities. "Hong Kong is back" is the theme of many international high-level summits and exhibitions. Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu added an "Office for Introduction of Key Enterprises" in his first policy address, which will undertake this series of external exchanges and take the initiative to attract foreign investment. The current government loves to talk about KPIs, but the latest foreign investment survey by the Census and Statistics Department found that the number of companies in Hong Kong has turned from rising to falling, falling below 9,000. This confirms that Hong Kong’s attractiveness has faded slightly, and it is necessary to step up efforts to reverse the trend and maintain Hong Kong’s international business. business status.

It used to be a habit for Hong Kong people to return to their hometowns for retirement, and there are also housing estates where Hong Kong people live in Zhongshan, Shunde and other places. The living spaces in mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area are comfortable and spacious, and the food and life culture are similar, which attracts many Hong Kong people to go north to live and recuperate. At present, Hong Kong elders can enjoy preferential treatment for the elderly from local residents by presenting Mainland Elderly Cards. The “money goes with everyone” policy provides portable welfare measures so that they do not have to give up Hong Kong’s various subsidies even if they move to the mainland, making the Greater Bay Area an ideal place for retirement.

The outline document for the development of the Greater Bay Area focuses on spatial layout and economic planning. For many ordinary people, it is a top-level design and may not be able to see its meaning. Substantial progress needs to rely on major cooperation platforms such as Shenzhen Qianhai, Zhuhai Hengqin, Guangzhou Nansha and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Loop before the public can see the results. He Lifeng, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, once proposed "targeted selection of major cooperation platforms." The "Qianhai Plan" and "Hengqin Plan" were released last year, and the "Nansha Plan" also caught up this year, with many projects achieving minor successes. .