At the Wednesday opening of the annual meeting of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress, Premier Li Qiang pledged to further the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) when delivering the Government Work Report on behalf of the State Council. 

The development of the GBA has been highlighted in the Chinese government work report for nine consecutive years, which indicates the importance of the region in national development and explains the country’s focus on future development. The following infographics show how the blueprint has been developed year by year.

GBA's GDP exceeded 14 trillion RMB in 2023

Since the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) was released in 2019, the GDP of the GBA has surged from 10.8 trillion yuan in 2018 to over 14 trillion yuan (approximately 1.92 trillion USD) in 2023, establishing it as one of China's most competitive and dynamic economic regions and the world's largest bay area economy.

The GBA integrates the scientific and technological innovation strengths of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, hosting over 76,000 state-level high-tech firms. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou technology cluster has ranked as the world's second most innovative hub for five consecutive years in the Global Innovation Index, emerging as an internationally influential center of scientific and technological innovation.

Transportation infrastructure upgraded to promote regional connectivity

In 2024, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link and Huangmaohai Cross-Sea Passage were opened to traffic, bringing the total number of cross-sea and cross-river channels in the GBA to six. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, a pivotal artery of the region, recorded unprecedented passenger and vehicle traffic in 2024.

In 2024, mainland tourists made 34 million visits to Hong Kong and 24.5 million visits to Macao, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 27 percent and 29 percent respectively. The accelerated integration has transformed the "one-hour living circle" from blueprint to reality, with cross-border consumption surging and daily commutes between the three locations becoming increasingly convenient.

Mutual recognition of regulations and mechanisms furthered in GBA

In recent years, a wide range of policies has been launched to address key issues concerning GBA residents.

March 1 marks the first anniversary of the closed customs operations in Hengqin. Official data has shown that since the policy's enactment, both the first-line (Macao boundary) and second-line (mainland boundary) checkpoints have maintained smooth and orderly clearance of personnel, vehicles, and goods, while the number of Macao residents working and residing in the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has seen a significant surge. The import and export volume between Hengqin and Macao reached 7.5 billion RMB, surging by 32.8 percent year-on-year.