Table 1

The Background of China’s GBA

Characteristics
Cities cover
  • - 2 SARs: Hong Kong and Macao SARs

  • - 9 cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province

Total land area
  • - 56,000 square kilometres

Population
  • - Over 87 million (2024)

GDP
  • - US$1.97 trillion (2024)

Development goal
  • - Develop into an Innovation Technology and Finance hub

Main strengths
  • - World-renowned research universities and high-tech enterprises

  • - High capabilities in R&D and commercialisation

Challenges
  • - Regulatory harmonisation across cities

  • - Economic disparities risking uneven development

  • - Environmental sustainability concern on rapid urbanisation

Source: By authors

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