‘Living in two worlds at once’: work in Hong Kong, live and play in Greater Bay Area
Regional cooperation is a key priority in Hong Kong’s first five-year plan. In the fourth of a five-part series on the plan, we look at how life in the Greater Bay Area can get better, with the right policies. Read part one here, part two here and part three here. Eager to escape Hong Kong’s suffocating housing conditions, university administrative worker Polly Chan decided in 2023 to rent a…
Hong Kong's first five-year plan prioritizes regional cooperation, aiming to improve life in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) through appropriate policies. To escape Hong Kong's housing crisis, university administrative worker Polly Chan rents a weekend flat in Guangzhou while living with her mother in a small 300 sq ft flat in Tai Po on weekdays.
This arrangement is more affordable than housing in Shenzhen, allowing her to maintain a career in Hong Kong and leisure in mainland China. Chan's situation reflects a growing trend among young Hongkongers who benefit from regional connectivity.
Analysts believe that the GBA, which spans 56,000 sq km and hosts over 86 million people, will offer residents more options for work, living, and leisure due to improved transportation and infrastructure. However, achieving this integration will require specific policy breakthroughs, such as unified healthcare standards, legal mechanisms, and streamlined transport links.
Former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying emphasized the need for targeted district platforms and partnerships with mainland hubs like Guangzhou's Nansha or Shenzhen's Qianhai.
Specific district collaborations can boost local research, leverage mainland clinical capacity, and foster growth in sectors like biotech, research, and professional services. Leung stressed the importance of finding a specific "landing port" within the GBA, rather than treating it as a single entity. He also highlighted the need to focus on the "four flows" – human capital, capital, goods, and data – while preserving Hong Kong's unique status within the "one country, two systems" framework.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
