The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area in the Making: development plan and challenges

The Chinese authority intends to develop the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a new engine to sustain Chinese development. By applying the theories of state rescaling and city-cluster formation, this paper intends to conduct a case study of the GBA to examine the state-initiated plan for city-cluster formation in China, to analyse the Chinese central and local governments' efforts to put this plan into action and the hurdles they face in formatting this city-cluster. The formulation of the GBA development plan for integrated development reflects a dynamic process of upscaling and downscaling of various levels of state power. The state's plan for the GBA is to create a world-class city-cluster, and to eliminate barriers that hinder the free flow of goods and resources. Nevertheless, it will be challenging for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, which fall under different administrative regions and customs zones, to achieve the level of collaboration and functioning required for integrated development of the GBA. The fierce competition for dominance among these core cities could jeopardise efforts to forge closer economic integration in the region.