Rapid Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area: From Farm Land to “World Factory” to “Silicon Delta”

Speaker: Prof. Yongqin David Chen

About the Speaker: Yongqin David Chen is currently the Master of Muse College and a professor of the School of Humanities and Social Science at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and a former Chairman of the Department of Geography and Resource Management at CUHK. He graduated from Zhongshan University with B.S. and M.S. in the mid-1980s and later obtained his Ph.D. from The University of Georgia in the USA. He has published over 130 research papers in international and Chinese journals (including Nature Climate Change, PNAS and other top journals), as well as six book volumes. He has received research awards from the Ministry of Education of China and Chinese Society of Natural Resources, and has been featured in the World’s Top 2% Scientists’ List released by Stanford University. He has been active in serving in various capacities in many universities, professional societies and government advisory committees at local, national, and international levels, including President of the Professional Association for China’s Environment, Vice President of China Environment, Resources and Ecological Conservation Society, Non-Civil Servant member of the Urban Planning Board of Shenzhen, Chairman of Hong Kong Conservation E3 Foundation Ltd., member of the Strategic Advisory Committee, Hong Kong Observatory, etc.

Abstract: Since its adoption of the “reform and opening-up” policy in the late 1970s, China has experienced enormous changes and made numerous great achievements which attract worldwide attention. As one of the key growth engines of Chinese economy, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), formerly called the Pearl River Delta, has been playing a critical role in exploring, experimenting and promoting the country’s socio-economic development over the years. First, I will briefly introduce the geographical settings and characteristics of China, as well as the distribution of population, resources and economic activities which highly depends on the geography, illustrating the great importance of eastern coastal region, especially the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta, in the development of Chinese economy. Second, in the context of the development path of the People’s Republic of China over the past seven decades, I will review, summarize and discuss how the GBA has transformed from the traditional farm land to the internationally renowned “world factory” and then become the “Silicon Delta” nowadays through Industrial upgrading and economic transformation. Over the past four decades, as an unprecedented miracle of urban development in human history, Shenzhen has been playing a unique and leading role in the rapid socio-economic development of GBA, becoming a world-class city of innovation and hub of high-end manufacturing. Finally, with reference to the national development strategy and the outline development plan of the GBA, I will discuss the grand prospects and promising future of the region’s sustainable development from social, economic and environmental perspectives.