As the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area enters a crucial phase of high-quality development, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government recently released its first five-year plan. The blueprint places the Northern Metropolis at the forefront of the city’s future development, positioning it not only as a powerful new engine for new quality productive forces development, but also as a primary platform for deep integration into the national development strategy. Complementing this road map, the 2026 Policy Address articulates the spatial layout concept of “one town, five elements” (education, technology, industry, talent, and urban development). Under this visionary plan, three major university towns will be developed in San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu, and Ta Kwu Ling to foster seamless synergy between innovation, research, and industrial implementation.
Under the “one country, two systems” framework, converting cross-boundary institutional differences from potential bottlenecks into dynamic advantages requires systemic mechanism alignment and regulatory harmonization. Since the launch of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangdong province has published 70 flagship cases showcasing institutional innovation and rules and mechanisms alignment. A close examination of these achievements reveals that the alignment of rules and mechanisms in the Greater Bay Area has evolved from early isolated, single-point breakthroughs into a multidimensional system. These experiences can be broadly categorized into three distinct operational models: one-way adaptation; mutual adaptation; and co-creation. Harnessing these mature operational models in the Northern Metropolis to create a high-level laboratory for cross-boundary institutional convergence holds the key to deepening Greater Bay Area integration.
First, one-way adaptation: This model involves one jurisdiction unilaterally opening its market, qualifications, or public services to the other. In practice, it predominantly features the Chinese mainland proactively aligning with Hong Kong standards, lowering market entry barriers, and extending public services to residents of the Hong Kong and Macao SARs. Key examples include the GBA Legal Professional Examination, which breaks legal system barriers by allowing eligible Hong Kong and Macao lawyers to practice specified civil and commercial laws across nine mainland Greater Bay Area municipalities. The measure of using Hong Kong registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area streamlines mainland approval procedures to introduce urgently needed clinical drugs and medical devices. Programs such as Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles, and GBA Social Security Connect, further illustrate how unilateral policy opening effectively lowers cross-boundary barriers during initial integration stages.
Second, mutual adaptation: When cooperation moves into complex domains like finance, cross-boundary data transfer, and advanced market regulation, unilateral measures are insufficient. Instead, both jurisdictions need to engage in mutual negotiation, reciprocal recognition, and regulatory adjustment. A prime case is the cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect, built upon existing financial frameworks in the three sides through joint regulatory authorization and adjustments to facilitate two-way capital flows. The arrangement allows eligible mainland, Hong Kong and Macao residents to invest in wealth management products distributed by banks in each other’s market through a closed-loop funds flow channel established between their respective banking systems. Similarly, Shenzhen’s issuance of offshore renminbi local government bonds in Hong Kong leveraged Hong Kong’s internationalized market rules while gaining support from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to include these bonds in its collateral framework. Furthermore, pilot projects in Qianhai’s construction sector and Hetao’s cross-boundary data trading have successfully absorbed Hong Kong’s engineering management and data compliance frameworks, achieving two-way alignment.
Third, co-creation: Representing the highest level of institutional alignment, co-creation moves beyond incremental adjustments to existing rules. In this model, the three sides collaborate to formulate entirely new, unified standards tailored specifically for the Greater Bay Area. The “Greater Bay Area standards” and “Greater Bay Area Certification” initiatives exemplify this approach, bringing together expert committees and certification alliances to establish unified technical specifications. At present, 284 Greater Bay Area standards and 473 Greater Bay Area certification certificates have been issued, covering fields including food quality and safety, transportation, electromechanical products, as well as healthcare, nursing, education, esports, and ESG. In customs clearance, innovative border control models such as “joint inspection, one-time release” at the Qingmao Port, the “three-places-one-lock scheme”, and joint vehicle checkpoints have effectively redefined administrative boundaries through procedural and technological innovation.
While the 70 cases demonstrate remarkable progress, past efforts were largely confined to isolated pilot zones such as Qianhai, Hengqin, Nansha, and Hetao. The Northern Metropolis, by contrast, provides a comprehensive geographic and economic platform to consolidate these dispersed experiences into a holistic institutional ecosystem. The key elements outlined in the Northern Metropolis development plan — medicine, life and health technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and microelectronics in the San Tin University Town; smart manufacturing and applied engineering in Hung Shui Kiu; and strategic development zones in Ta Kwu Ling — all depend heavily on the high-frequency flow of capital, data, talent, advanced equipment, and scientific research samples across the boundary. If the Northern Metropolis remains merely a physical infrastructure project without resolving underlying regulatory friction, its potential as an engine for new quality productive forces will be constrained.
To serve as a flagship laboratory for Greater Bay Area rules and mechanisms alignment, the Northern Metropolis should prioritize progress in three strategic dimensions:
The first dimension is joint creation in infrastructure standards. Given the massive civil engineering and infrastructure demands of the Northern Metropolis, the Hong Kong and mainland governments should build upon Qianhai’s experience and the “Greater Bay Area standards” framework to co-develop unified regional standards for green building and construction material compliance. By adopting Hong Kong’s international construction management practices alongside the mainland’s robust industrial supply chains, transaction costs can be drastically reduced. Additionally, exploring flexible labor policy adjustments in key development zones to supplement the local workforce will further lower institutional costs.
The second dimension is mutual adaptation in data and research capital. To realize the innovation and technological ambitions of San Tin and Hung Shui Kiu, streamlining cross-border funding flows and data transfers is a matter of urgency. Building on Guangdong’s pilot program for cross-boundary research fund remittances and Hetao’s data trading experiences, the Northern Metropolis should establish a secure, controlled “data special zone” equipped with flexible verification mechanisms. Ensuring national data security while harmonizing data protection regulations across the three jurisdictions will allow the safe and compliant flow of vital research data for AI and life science sectors.
The third dimension is better alignment in talent ecosystem and public service. Talent is the ultimate driver of long-term competitiveness. Proven mechanisms like the Greater Bay Area Social Security Connect, cross-boundary government service portals, and streamlined professional qualification recognition should be embedded into the communities and industrial parks of the Northern Metropolis. Utilizing targeted local legislation or special administrative authorizations can expand direct practice privileges for Hong Kong, Macao, mainland and international professionals spanning healthcare, architecture, research, and engineering, creating a vibrant, livable, and talent-friendly innovation hub.
Greater Bay Area development has entered a pivotal stage where success hinges on deep institutional convergence. Guided by Hong Kong’s first five-year plan, the Northern Metropolis is destined to become not just a new economic engine for local transformation, but also a premier demonstration zone for seamless regulatory integration across different systems. By dismantling institutional barriers, the Northern Metropolis can fully leverage the unique advantages of the “one country, two systems” framework, driving high-quality development across the entire Greater Bay Area.
The author is a member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and an expert member of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
