Unpacking the Plan for the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area: A Mechanism for Reform

The newly released “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)” shows that the roles of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao GBA have gone beyond its original emphasis on regional economic development and now serves higher purposes in fostering the ongoing process of deepening reforms in China, and in meeting the challenges in the Chinese-led “Belt and Road Initiative”. Whereas earlier policy on cross-border collaborations and the previous literature often emphasize “harmonization” and “integration” of the diverse institutions and practices of the constituent cities into one economy, this paper suggests an alternative perspective highlighting the utility of institutional contradictions and diversity contained in the “one country, two system” framework within the GBA. Leveraging the advantages of its more internationalized special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, the GBA plan would not only benefit this coastal megalopolis, but also stimulate a dynamic mechanism of reform in the whole country.