The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is likely to gain further impetus after General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping pledged to give priority to the regional cooperation initiative in his report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC on behalf of the 18th CPC Central Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.

On Thursday during their group discussion on Xi's report, Party leaders from Guangdong province exchanged views on how partner cities could cooperate with each other and contribute to the successful development of this super city cluster. With the provincial and municipal leaders coming onboard and paying due attention to the project, it is imaginable that action will be taken as soon as the master plan being formulated by the relevant central government authorities is ready.

Everything is ready except the proverbial "east wind" when it comes to the launch of this ambitious project. With the strong support of the central government under the leadership of the CPC, the project's eventual success is virtually guaranteed - if Shenzhen's success story is anything to go by. From its humble beginnings as a fishing village Shenzhen has undergone a sea change and achieved an amazing transformation within a few decades. It has become a thriving metropolis and a world-renowned innovation and technology hub within four decades of being designated as a special economic zone by then State leader Deng Xiaoping, and securing approval of the National People's Congress Standing Committee in August 1980. Shenzhen's development is unprecedented in the full course of human history.

The new regional development and integration plan - the Greater Bay Area project - has been conceived as part of the national strategy behind the Belt and Road Initiative, the country's grandest development strategy ever. It is logical to expect the bay area project would gain even stronger support from the central government than Shenzhen has enjoyed on its journey to success.

Being in its infant stage - the planning phase, which is characterized by a lack of details - the regional development and integration project has, understandably, attracted many skeptics. But if only the skeptics care to look back at Shenzhen's success story and take a long-term perspective, they should be able to envision the Greater Bay Area project's eventual success as well as the ample opportunities it will offer all participating cities including Hong Kong.

Indeed, the central government's full support aside, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region has all the necessary requirements for a super city cluster to develop successfully. These include wonderful deep-water harbors, mighty innovation hubs, sophisticated financial markets, transportation hubs as well as a huge pool of talents.

(HK Edition 10/20/2017 page8)