From a ‘World Factory’ to China’s Bay Area: A Review of the Outline of the Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Abstract

The Outline of the Development Plan (ODP) for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, (a region formerly know n as the Pearl River Delta – PRD – or the ‘world’s factory’) marks China’s determination to transform traditional manufacturing and accomplish the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The ambitious plan was born at the confluence of two major drives to boost China’s prominence. The first is ecological civilization, a policy first introduced in 2007 and endorsed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, before its incorporation into the Chinese constitution in 2018. The other being the now much less mentioned ‘Made in China 2025 ʹ , unveiled in 2015, as an ambitious initiative to upscale China’s manufacturing industry. The ODP can be seen as part of China’s effort to transform its manufacturing industry, greening its economy and moving the nation towards an ecological civilization. The following first discusses the emergence of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), comprising Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing. Then, it introduces the ODP, including its high-level political deployment and multiple stakeholders, key ideas and implications. Challenges for implementing the ODP are discussed at the end.