The bridge is without a doubt a milestone in the development of Lantau and Bay Area.

now a gateway to the Greater Pearl River Delta region.

The bridge will also play a significant role in Hong Kong’s integration into the GuangdongHong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — a business hub and living circle comprising Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong province. The Bay Area project, officially announced by the central government as a national development strategy, aims to transform the region’s strong manufacturing base into a science and technology powerhouse. The combined GDP of the region’s 11 cities stood at $1.53 trillion (HK$11.9 trillion) in 2017, more or less the same as South Korea. The economic growth at nine out of the 11 cities was at least 7 percent in 2017, more than the national average of 6.9 percent. Efficient cross-boundary infrastructure is the key to unleash the potential of the city cluster. The HZMB, together with the Hong Kong section of the GuangzhouShenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, will help enhance connectivity within the Bay Area and create favorable conditions for attracting talents to the region from other parts of the mainland and overseas.

The bridge is without a doubt a milestone in the development of Lantau and Bay Area. The opening of the bridge heralds the arrival of numerous economic opportunities. Just as Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said, Hong Kong’s integration into the mainland is not a goal but a process. Hong Kong people, especially the younger generation, should ready themselves for the opportunities arising from the country’s further development. No one knows what will happen in future. However, as Peter Drucker, the originator of modern management ideas, told us: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” At 9 am on Oct 24, when the bridge begins operations, it will be time to create the future of Hong Kong.