Hong Kong's five-year plan aims for Greater Bay Area regional cooperation

Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area Plan Can Learn from San Francisco’s Regional Model

Hong Kong’s first-ever five-year plan for economic and social development (2026-2030) is now open for public consultation, with a strong emphasis on advancing regional cooperation within the Greater Bay Area (GBA). A key focus is aligning rules, standards, and institutional frameworks across the region, a challenge that has long been hindered by differing legal and governance systems under the “one country, two systems” framework.

The Push for Regional Integration

The proposed plan highlights the need to strengthen collaboration with mainland provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Shenzhen, in its own 15th five-year plan, echoes this ambition, aiming to deepen practical cooperation with Hong Kong and Macau through high-level development platforms. However, despite these aligned policy goals, businesses, researchers, and public agencies continue to face persistent obstacles, including issues with cross-border data sharing, funding, and regulatory compliance.

For Hong Kong to effectively leverage these cooperation platforms, experts stress the importance of moving beyond technical fixes. What’s needed is a robust institutional framework that can harmonize rules, establish common standards, and provide governance mechanisms to address disputes and sustain long-term collaboration.

Lessons from the San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area offers a compelling case study for Hong Kong. While the region is now synonymous with innovation and economic dynamism, its development was far from seamless. The post-war tech boom of the 1950s and 1960s, driven by Silicon Valley, brought significant economic growth but also created shared challenges, such as housing shortages, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation.

Recognizing that these issues transcended individual jurisdictions, Bay Area governments opted for a coordinated approach. In 1961, they established the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), a collaborative policy platform uniting nine counties and over 100 cities and towns. This was made possible through joint powers agreements, which allowed diverse jurisdictions to work together on shared priorities while maintaining their autonomy.

Why This Matters

Hong Kong’s aspiration to lead GBA integration hinges on its ability to foster seamless cooperation across jurisdictions. The San Francisco Bay Area’s experience demonstrates the value of creating institutional mechanisms that transcend fragmented governance systems. By adopting similar models, Hong Kong could address long-standing friction points and unlock the full potential of the GBA as an economic powerhouse.

The current public consultation on Hong Kong’s five-year plan presents a critical opportunity to shape policies that not only address technical barriers but also lay the groundwork for sustained regional collaboration.

Source: South China Morning Post