Editor's Note: With this year's two sessions underway－the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference－ China Daily toured China to gather a series of stories focusing on the achievements and blueprints in various regions. They show how different regions find their own special strengths to achieve sustained economic development and integrated growth.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is a landmark project of the Greater Bay Area development. (WANG JIAXIN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

SHENZHEN – Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has been a major focus among the three regions' legislators and political advisers who have witnessed and proactively participated in the area's integration and prosperity in the past year.

Covering a land area of 56,000 square kilometers with a population of over 70 million, the Bay Area is one of the most dynamic economic regions in the country. Its GDP amounted to more than 11 trillion yuan (US$1.54 trillion) last year, growing at 6.7 percent year-on-year.

The central government officially launched a development plan outline for the Bay Area in February last year. The blueprint lays out the vision for coordinated development of the 11-city cluster, which covers nine cities in southern Guangdong province, and Hong Kong and Macao.

The grand national plan aims to build the region into a globally influential innovation and technology hub, and a world-class bay area that can rival its counterparts in San Francisco, New York and Tokyo.

During the two sessions in March last year, the number of proposals related to the topic increased significantly, covering a wide range of areas including the economy, technology, finance, culture, medical care and tourism.

Many proposals have since been accepted and the Central government is in the process of studying them or taking steps in accordance with the suggestions.

Si Ka-lon, a Macao deputy to the National People's Congress, said most of his proposals last year were about the Bay Area, notably measures facilitating cross-border living. He said he has received several replies from the central government. "Our suggestions are highly valued and scrupulously analyzed," he said.

In Hengqin, a free trade zone in Macao's neighboring city of Zhuhai, policies to bring in more companies, investment and talent from Macao were introduced last year. Tour guides, architects and physicians are some categories of professionals from Macao that are allowed to practice within the zone.

In addition, cross-border travel restrictions are expected to be further relaxed with the impending opening of a new checkpoint with joint customs examinations.

Though the level of integration of Zhuhai and Macao is high, quarantine measures for the coronavirus outbreak have blocked personal and business exchanges for now. Having witnessed the crisis, Si's suggestion for this year is to have Macao included in more aspects of the national public health emergency response system.

"We need to establish long-term, unified disease prevention and control strategies in the Greater Bay Area," he said.

Lam Lung-on, a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC, proposed last year to lower the threshold for overseas financial institutions to enter the mainland and expand their scope of operation in order to stimulate market vitality.

Lam, who is also the chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese Importers' & Exporters' Association, said the Bay Area is an ideal pilot area to explore these reforms first.

Addressing these issues, national regulators of the banking, insurance, securities and foreign exchange sectors jointly issued a series of new policies and pilot programs to promote financial opening-up and integration this month, following several attempts by local governments to address the issues throughout the year.

The guidelines support further opening up of the banking, security, insurance and venture capital investment sectors. For instance, foreign-owned security, fund management and futures firms are allowed to operate within the Bay Area, while pilot schemes will begin for cross-border operations for futures traders.

Hong Kong, one of the world's financial centers, has also become a popular market for Chinese mainland companies' initial public offerings, signaling another push to further relax cross-border travel rules for executives and professionals.

Considering the upgraded financial connection, Lam suggested the need for more measures to facilitate the flow of talent in the Bay Area this year. He suggested setting up a green channel for professionals crossing the border.

Mutual qualification recognition will also form the basis for tighter economic mix. Another Hong Kong deputy to the NPC, Pauline Ngan Po-ling, has been promoting the expansion of this practice to more regions.

The Qianhai free trade zone in Shenzhen has lowered the qualification threshold for Hong Kong talent in a dozen occupations. Professions include accountant, registered tax officer and construction surveyor. Ngan suggested that this practice could be implemented in all cities within the Bay Area. "The efficient and easy flow of talent, logistics, funds and information is essential to the Greater Bay Area's development," she said.

In response, the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong rolled out a detailed plan in November in a bid to realize mutual recognition of professional qualifications by 2025.

The requirements for Hong Kong and Macao talent were modified and applied to the ranks and titles of all occupations in the province. Some professionals recommended by designated organizations can even receive mainland qualifications.

Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been focusing on collaboration in scientific resources and projects.

Ip said Hong Kong can use its edge in basic research and take the lead in research subjects such as healthy aging, while the abundant pool of funds, biosamples and equipment and the industrial ecosystem in Guangdong can propel the commercialization and application of scientific research.

In July, Guangdong realized the nation's first cross-border capital allocation for scientific research, with 3.17 million yuan transferred from the provincial finance authorities to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for a joint project.

A green channel for research funds flow in the Bay Area is also in the pipeline to bolster further integration of scientific research and technology strength.

Three Guangdong NPC deputies submitted a proposal last year urging the accelerated development of traditional Chinese medicine in the Bay Area.

Guo Jiao, principal of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Zhou Haibo, head of Qingyuan People's Hospital, and Song Erwei, head of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital at Sun Yat-sen University, proposed formulating a plan to coordinate innovative development of TCM in the region. They also suggested building national labs there.

The proposal got the attention of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which responded that it will continue to support Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cooperative projects on TCM modernization research and promote the industry's growth.

The National Health Commission will also push forward policies under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement to be implemented in the Bay Area and promote exchanges on high-quality medical and health resources to spur growth of the health industry.

In another proposal jointly submitted by 29 CPPCC National Committee members last year, the political advisers suggested that a new mechanism for intellectual property cooperation in the Bay Area should be established to strengthen regional cooperation in areas such as intellectual property rights protection and the training of professional talent.

In its feedback regarding the proposal, the National Intellectual Property Administration said the mainland attaches high importance to cooperating with Hong Kong and Macao on intellectual property and has been setting up a new mechanism in recent years.

Timeline

Mar 5, 2017

Premier Li Keqiang says the central government will draw up a plan for the development of a city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Jul 1, 2017

The Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Bay Area is signed in Hong Kong and witnessed by President Xi Jinping.

Oct 24, 2018

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge－the longest sea crossing link in the world－is opened to the public.

Feb 18, 2019

The Bay Area's development plan outline is released.

Jul 5, 2019

Opinions of the Guangdong committee of the Communist Party of China and Guangdong provincial government on the implementation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and a three-year Action Plan for Building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (2018-20) are released.

Aug 18, 2019

Opinion on supporting Shenzhen's pioneering demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics is issued.

Nov 6, 2019

The central government promotes 16 policy measures that will benefit people in Hong Kong and Macao.

Apr 29, 2020

Meteorological Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (2020-35) is released.

May 14, 2020

A financial support guideline for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is issued.

Contact the writers at grace@chinadailyhk.com