China’s answer to Silicon Valley: too much talk and not enough action, official complains

Wang Rong, provincial CPPCC chairman in Guangdong, says working with Hong Kong and Macau means dealing with ‘one country, two systems and three customs zones’

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Wang Rong spoke at a plenary meeting of the nation’s top advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:00am, 9 Mar 2018Updated: 2:01pm, 9 Mar 2018

A top Guangdong official on Thursday said the province’s cooperation with Hong Kong and Macau involved more talk than action, and a state leader should lead the Greater Bay Area project to successfully forge an economic powerhouse across the two cities and nine mainland ones.

Beijing pushing forward ‘Greater Bay Area’ plan, top political advisory body say

Wang Rong made the uncharacteristically frank comment as he unveiled a six-part strategy to press forward with the Greater Bay Area plan, a day after President Xi Jinping called on Guangdong leaders to focus on the project and also lead the charge for China’s “full opening up”.

He was among 13 delegates representing different sectors and industries who spoke at a plenary meeting of the nation’s top advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Wang is chairman of the provincial CPPCC in Guangdong, a role he has held for three years.

While other delegates spoke about economic reform, the environment and public finance, Wang focused on the Greater Bay Area plan.

Opportunities for Hong Kong banks in Greater Bay project

He said the project covered “a densely populated area with huge economic potential”, but six things needed to be done to make it successful: a national-level coordination mechanism, policy reform, technological innovation, social support, as well as improvement in transport networks and public services.

It is rare for mainland officials to be critical of their exchanges with their Hong Kong counterparts but Wang said: “Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau come under one country, two systems and three custom zones … There were often many meetings, dialogues, and complicated etiquettes, but little strength in pushing things forward pragmatically, or systems in consolidation.”