The construction of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will push forward the Pearl River Delta area in south China into a world-level economic zone with multiple functions and high openness.

The bridge will not only accelerate the economic growth in the western part of the Pearl River Delta, but also radiate its influence to a larger area including Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan in China, and the free trade zone of the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.

Economists believe that the bridge linking Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai will affect the economic structure in south China's Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao. It will not only be an important traffic artery in the Pearl River Delta, but also a lifeline to the future economic development of the whole south China.

So far, the super highway connecting Beijing and Zhuhai and the expressways at the coastal areas of Guangdong Province have been constructed. However, there is still a gap between Hong Kong and Zhuhai.

Shiu Sin Por, director of the Hong Kong "One Country Two Systems" Research Institute, said that the bridge will connect Hong Kong with the Beijing-Zhuhai super highway, and therefore, the cargoes from Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, will be able to reach Hong Kong within one day.

And the journey from Hong Kong to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China will also be shortened to half a day. The market of Hong Kong's logistics will be greatly expanded as a result, said Shiu.

Experts say the bridge will fill up the gap between Hong Kong and the western part of Guangdong Province, and will further connect Hong Kong with the wider range of area including Guangdong and Yunnan provinces in China, and Vietnam, and the trade between Hong Kong and the ASEAN free trade zone will be facilitated.

Victor Fung Kwok-king, chairman of Hong Kong Airport Authority, said that the bridge will link the four airports in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Macao and Zhuhai, and help better harmonize the function of the four airports.

The Pearl River Delta is one of China's most powerful economic engines, with its export volume accounting for one third of the total in China. According to its development plan, the total export volume of the region will reach 200 billion US dollars by 2010. And the urbanization rate of the region will reach 70 percent at that time.

Hong Kong economists say if Hong Kong's logistics services can be expanded to the western part of the Pearl River Delta, it will add 30 percent to 35 percent of extra goods to Hong Kong's air and sea transportation. The bridge will also help improve the currently weak processing industry in Macao.

At present, the industrial structure in Guangdong Province is still uneven. The future development trend in the region is that the eastern side of the Pearl River will focus on technology-intensive sectors, while the western side on developing industry.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tung Chee Hwa said recently at the sixth Hong Kong-Guangdong cooperation joint conference that the cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong will be consolidated to build the Pearl River Delta into one of the most dynamic economic regions in the world in the coming one or two decades.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2003)