Impressed delegates need to turn bay area insights into action
Afour-day official visit to the mainland’s Greater Bay Area has seemingly left Hong Kong officials and lawmakers more than impressed. The high-profile delegation returned yesterday with some insights on cross-border cooperation and development. Hopefully, they will be followed by concrete action plans that will drive economic growth and improve people’s livelihoods in the region.
Such a familiarisation trip was not the first of its kind. What set it apart was its timing and political context. Unlike previous occasions, which were often seen as ice-breaking opportunities for opposition lawmakers, this was the first official delegation comprising an all-patriot legislature and ruling team. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu described it as a showcase of solidarity aimed at deepening trust and collaboration. It also took place with Hong Kong seeking to reinvent itself. The reopening of the border enables both sides to get together again and renew momentum in the development of the Greater Bay Area – a national strategy to turn Hong Kong and Macau together with nine mainland cities into an economic powerhouse.
The trip seems to have opened eyes, covering exchanges with officials, executives and residents of cities, and visits to various facilities, enterprises and projects involving innovation and technology, environmental protection, youth development, arts, culture, and sports. Some lawmakers were especially impressed by telecoms giant Huawei’s innovation town and the autonomous rail transit system by BYD Auto, which they believe may help the city’s Northern Metropolis and East Kowloon developments.
Exactly how Hong Kong and others may learn from each other and strengthen their development strategy remains to be seen, but they do stand to benefit by seizing the moment for greater integration and cooperation. Under the development blueprint, each of the 11 cities has its own strengths and roles. They complement rather than compete with one another.
Even though much has been said about the strategy, it may become nothing more than a political slogan if people are still unclear how they can benefit. The visit was a good occasion for officials and lawmakers to see for themselves how the city can learn from its counterparts, and enhance further cooperation.
There are those who will see the trip as just a political show. But it may lead to positive developments on both sides when solidarity and trust lead to concrete policy in the longer term. Lee prides himself as “result-oriented”. It is high time to show how citizens can benefit from an all-patriot governance framework. Officials and lawmakers will be expected to go beyond the political fanfare and come up with concrete action plans as soon as practicable.