Chen Siqi

vankochensq@163.com

A PARALLEL forum of the 2023 Understanding China Conference, dedicated to the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), was held in Guangzhou on Saturday.

Researchers and experts shared their insights and suggestions on furthering the integration of these areas.

Zhu Wei, executive deputy director of the Guangdong provincial GBA office, highlighted that the GBA’s economic volume reached 13 trillion yuan (US$1.82 trillion) in 2022, constituting 11% of China’s GDP. The GBA boasts a comprehensive industrial system, with Guangdong standing as one of the world’s foremost manufacturing bases, home to eight industrial clusters valued at over 1 trillion yuan.

“Advancing the construction of the GBA to a new level is pivotal to China’s modernization,” said Tam Yiu-Chung, vice president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.

Chow Man-kong, a member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, pointed out that the fundamental aspect of sharing Chinese narratives is rooted in sharing the stories of Hong Kong and the GBA. He outlined three suggestions for Hong Kong and the rest of the GBA to enhance integration, particularly in education, intangible cultural heritage, and entertainment.