2. 'Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta: The Economic Interaction'

Contributors:
Investigators:
Professor Michael Enright, School of Business, The University of Hong Kong
Chang Ka-mun, Director, Li & Fung Development (China) Ltd. Li & Fung Research Centre
Edith E. Scott, Consultant and attorney
Zhu Wen-hui, Chinese Business Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Other researchers:
Jo Wilson
Helen Chin
Ng Cheuk-hung
Xu Zhi-hua

Project Description
The economic interaction between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (HK/PRD) region of the Chinese Mainland has grown dramatically since China began to open up its economy in the late 1970s. The growing linkages have resulted in greater prosperity on both sides of what has become the border between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its neighbors to the immediate north. These linkages, which have grown largely without any specific strategy or plan, are likely to be even more influential once China joins the World Trade Organization. Now, more than four years after the return of the administration of Hong Kong to China, more than a year after the similar return of Macau, and with Chinas' accession to the WTO, is a good time to assess the relationship and think about its future.

Earlier work, such as 'The Hong Kong Advantage', which appeared before Hong Kong's return to Chinese administration, touched on the economic relationship between HK/PRD, but in limited sense. That particular relationship was not the focal point of that project, which addressed Hong Kong's overall competitiveness and whether or not it would change after return to Chinese administration. In addition, although there was much speculation about how Hong Kong would fare in the initial period under Chinese administration it was never going to be possible to predict what would occur after the return precisely. More recent work, such as the Project 2022 Report 'Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta: Expanding Horizons', has provided a broad analysis of some of the key issues surrounding the interaction between HK/PRD, but does not fully embed these issues in the overall economic context and development trajectories of HK/PRD.

This project aims to build upon both of these streams of work in order to develop a picture of the economic development of Hong Kong and the PRD, the interaction between the two, and what might be done to enable both regions to obtain the maximum benefit from their relationship. The premise is that a detailed, independent assessment can help businesspeople and policy makers on both sides of the border achieve their goals. Although the focus will be on the economic integration, other types of interaction, social and government to government will be assessed as necessary.

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'Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta: The Economic Interaction' (pdf format)

3. 'Completing Pearl River Delta - An Exploration'

Contributors:
Principal Investigator:
Professor Tunney Lee, Professor Emeritus of Architecture and Urban Studies and Planning, MIT

Co-investigators:
Professor Fred Saluvcci, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT
Dr. Nien-dak Sze. Atmospheric Scientist, Chairman, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. USA

Guest investigators:
Professor Ralph Gakenheimer, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT
Dr. Carl Martland, MIT
Dr. Kenneth Kruchemeyer, MIT
Dr. M. Murga, MIT
Mr. Gerry Flood, Department of Transportation, US Government

Project Description

There has been growing interest in re-examining how best Hong Kong SAR (HK) should position itself in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) now and in the coming decades. Recent report, " Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta: Expanding Horizons" and numerous news articles have provided interesting perspectives/analysis of various issues HK and the PRD are facing. While differences in opinions do exist on how exactly various linkages between HK and the PRD should evolve, there is broad agreement that the Region acting together and planning ahead can be substantially more competitive and economically more advanced than it would be were the constituent parts to act as isolated entities.

The difficulties of getting proper attention and adequate financing related to demand, connections to the existing road networks, potential environmental degradation, political jurisdiction are major challenges but not necessarily insurmountable. In light of the rapid economic development of the PRD, the return of Hong Kong and Macau to China, the desire for growth in the West Bank and the need for the region to act as a whole to realize its vast potential, it is perhaps timely to re-visit this idea. This project aims at studying an important part of physical linkage within the Region --- the HK and the West Delta Link.

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'Linking the Delta: Bridging the Pearl River Delta'

4. 'Completing Pearl River Delta - An Exploration', a companion project to support Professor Tunney Lee/MIT project

Contributors:
Principal investigator:
Yok-shui F. Lee. Associate Professor, Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong

Other Researchers:
Wan Sau-Chi
Lee Ka-Kay Kerry

Project Description

This project aims to provide research support to Professor Tunney Lee et al's project "Completing the Pearl River Delta-An Exploration". While some information and data, particularly those produced by governments, are nowadays made available on diverse web sites, a substantial amount of useful and relevant research data on many key issues in the Pearl River Delta region are still only produced in printed version and are kept in several locations here in Hong Kong. For example, data contained in a sizeable number of Chinese statistical yearbooks, journals, government reports could only be physically retrieved from the libraries at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. A systematic process of identifying, collecting, and compiling such research information and data, an extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming task, is indispensable to an improved understanding and assessment of the various key issues.

Thus, this project aims to provide timely and continuous research support to Professor Lee et al's project in terms of retrieving and sharing of general and specific research materials gathered in Hong Kong and the region. The project also endeavors to facilitate the planning of the Project's workshop, 'Bridging Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai: Challenges and Opportunities' to be held in Hong Kong in March 2003.

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