Guo Renzhong: GBA cities should coordinate development on the agenda

Cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) should work together and help each other on the way to win-win development. One city, single-handed, does not bear the strength that the whole region needs to thrive. And, especially in the current international situation, we need joint efforts among cities more than ever, said Guo Renzhong, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, Head of the Research Institute for Smart Cities of Shenzhen University, Academic of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Guo Renzhong, Head of the Research Institute for Smart Cities of Shenzhen University, Academic of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The GBA is a concept about integration. Shenzhen being the pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics entails its functioning as a core engine, but that does not deny the fact that it also needs to work with other cities to create a driving force to support sustainable development.

Production workshop for new energy vehicles. (Photo provided to GDToday)

The development of the automobile industry explains a lot. Decades ago, a car was just a simple machine, while after generations of development, it is now equipped with air conditioning, stereo, as well as intelligent driving and customized navigation systems and everything, which means more technical support is needed to produce a car that the market prefers.

As the industry grows, it would certainly require more support from technology. If a city cannot provide the technical support the industry needs, then the future development of the industry, and even the city would be at stake.

In the wave of technical upgrades, more and more enterprises are needed to develop or create a product, and innovation is sped up with a continuous flow of new technology into traditional businesses. It is a reminder that the future of modern industries relies on regional cooperation.

"We used to see each other as neighbors and that confined the release of our potential. Now we should take action together as a team. We are going to play a bigger game in the international arena, not here at home," Professor Guo said.

The same theory applies to the relationship between the GBA and the Yangtze River Delta or the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, among which cooperation should always take priority over competition. Good teamwork would certainly improve the market environment both at home and abroad, leading to solid development.

GBA should improve the efficiency of resource sharing

In addition to the connectivity of infrastructure, the GBA should further improve the efficiency of resource sharing amongst each city.

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway. (Photo provided to GDToday)

For example, in transportation, a day-to-day commute and transport coverage should be in place so that people in the whole area can be truly connected. In designing the system, the GBA should be regarded as a whole and needs to simplify the administrative licensing procedure in labor resources, materials, finance, techniques, and so on.

In terms of medical service, the region is dedicated to making it barrier-free for residents of any city in the GBA to get medical services and apply for reimbursement in any hospital across the region.

What's important is sharing the resources as well as talent among the GBA, instead of restricting them within city boundaries. In this way, we can optimize the intercity compatibility to encourage coordinated development, Professor Guo Renzhong pointed out.

Schedule planner: Tang Lina

Planners: He Jingwen, Men Lili, Zhang Ying

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English version: GDToday and GDUFS Chinese Cultural Story Exchange Group

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