Published : 27/12/2024
What needs to be done for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)?
In Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Development Plan), mentions seven major tasks.
This series examines achievements across seven areas, spotlighting the Belt and Road cooperation platforms in the GBA cities in this article.
Shenzhen Yantian Port
The Development Plan points out that it is necessary to provide strong support for the construction of the Belt and Road.
Yantian, Shenzhen thrives because of its port, and the Yantian Port area carries more than one-third of Guangdong Province's foreign trade cargo volume and is also one of the important maritime gateways for the Belt and Road Initiative.
The 2035 development blueprint released by Yantian District points out that it is necessary to build a core hub for GBA, actively integrate into and serve the Belt and Road Initiative, open new shipping routes to countries and regions jointly building the Belt and Road, and help build a world-class port cluster in GBA.
Infrastructure connectivity is an important part of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. In recent years, GBA has been gradually building the world's largest port cluster.
In 2023, GBA boasted six major ports with a hundred-million-tonne capacity, among which Shenzhen Port, Guangzhou Port, and Hong Kong Port were ranked among the world's top 100 container ports in 2023.
The international shipping network with Guangzhou Port and Shenzhen Port at its core connects with more than 300 ports in over 100 countries and regions worldwide.
Dongguan Shilong Station
In October 2013, the first "China-Europe Railway Express" of GBA departed from Dongguan Shilong Station in Guangdong and arrived in Russia about 15 days later.
Since then, cities in GBA such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen have successively launched China-Europe Railway Express routes.
As of 2024, GBA has cumulatively opened 18 China-Europe Railway Express routes, reaching more than 100 European cities, with over 3,000 scheduled China-Europe Railway Express trips having been made, allowing more "Made in Guangdong" products such as home appliances, digital products, and new energy products to go abroad, facilitating trade between GBA and countries and regions along the Belt and Road.
The "China-Europe Railway Express" is regarded as a flagship project of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, creating a new transport landscape for the Eurasian continent.
As of the end of 2024, the China-Europe Railway Express has made over 100,000 trips in total, reaching 227 European cities, with a cumulative cargo value exceeding 420 billion US dollars.
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, located in Wan Chai, is an important landmark in Hong Kong.
Since 2016, the annual "Belt and Road Summit" has been held here, which is regarded as an important international business and trade platform for promoting Belt and Road cooperation.
In 2024, the two-day ninth Belt and Road Summit attracted approximately 6,000 political and business leaders from countries and regions along the Belt and Road, as well as the participation of over 100 delegations and 38 central state-owned enterprises.
The Development Plan points out that it is necessary to deepen cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and build a key supporting area for the construction of the Belt and Road.
This includes supporting Hong Kong and Macao to host various forums or expos related to the theme of Belt and Road construction, creating an important platform for the joint participation of Hong Kong and Macao in the construction of the Belt and Road.