The "one-hour living circle" project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has promoted integration of southern China's cities, and is expected to create more business opportunities and enhance convenience of life.
The project aims to connect major cities in the area with bridges, tunnels and easier border crossing procedures, reducing travel time around the area to about one hour.
Vincent Lam, a Chinese medicine entrepreneur in Macao, has invested in the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Zhuhai, one of the 11 cities in the area.
Hengqin Island began closed-loop customs operations in March, offering tax exemptions for certain goods. Lam said the convenient transportation and favorable policies attracted him to operate one of nearly 6,000 Macao enterprises in this area.
"On one side, it's very close to Macao, it's easy to get to the Belt and Road, Portuguese cities. The cost [here] is lower, the intangible assets for us are more, because here, it's a very big market, I can do online selling, it's much easier, there's huge potential," he said.
Lam's decision also helped create a new cross-border family: Vincent has since married his girlfriend from Zhuhai and started a new life in Hengqin.
"I had two kids in two years. They are really the new generation [of Macao people] to be born in Hengqin, and grow up in Hengqin," he said.
More than 20,000 people from Macao now live in Hengqin, up 20 percent from last year.
Thanks to the Northbound Travel Scheme, Hong Kong and Macao residents can travel more conveniently to the mainland via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Travelers said they expect more communication and a more convenient life in the "one-hour living circle."
"Hong Kong has been back for many years now, and we are a family, after all. The 'one-hour living circle' has been discussed for years, it's finally become a reality. I think it's a breakthrough for domestic circulation," said Stanley Yip, a visitor from Hong Kong.
"We booked a villa for the whole group of friends. We are excited to spend the night here and shop," said Fione Chan, a visitor from Hong Kong.
"We have felt more connected to the mainland in recent years, with new opportunities emerging. I hope for more cultural exchanges and other collaborations, so we can grow stronger together," said Ray Lam, another visitor from Hong Kong.
"One-hour living circle" drives Greater Bay Area integration
An official with the World Economic Forum (WEF) has stressed the importance of establishing an adaptable mechanism for dialogue and cooperation that allows the global economy to fully benefit from the development potential of new technologies while managing the associated risks.
Mirek Dusek, one of WEF's managing directors, was speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting, which commenced in Davos, Switzerland on Monday.
The five-day event has gathered around 3,000 participants from various regions and industries around the world under the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," highlighting the need for greater collaboration against a backdrop of rapid technological advancements and global divisions.
In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Tuesday, Dusek said WEF is monitoring "two big forces" they believe are changing the world economy.
"On one hand, we are living through quite a unique time in terms of technological advancement and innovation. But on the other hand, of course, we are also tracking forces of fragmentation. We are seeing a more competitive geopolitical landscape, shifting value chains and supply chains, and of course, also social polarization in certain societies around the world," he said.
With the current uncertainties in the world, Dusek stressed the importance of building a suitable platform for dialogue, and ensuring that such a mechanisms is adaptable to respond to the various challenges.
"Given the trends that we are seeing in the global economy, in international relations, that function of bridging and dialogue could not be more important. It's very important that we have mechanisms where we can have dialogue and cooperation, and of course, we also need to be on the front foot of thinking, 'Okay, how do we make sure that the collaborative mechanisms are fit for the 21st century?'" he said, adding that this will be one of the focuses of the current Davos meeting.
Dusek also emphasized China's vital role in promoting global economic growth and technological development, describing the country as a "key actor" in helping the world transition to a new era of tech-driven development.
"Everyone understands that we need to be on our front foot, really thinking creatively around how do we relaunch growth that is inclusive, sustainable. But how do we relaunch growth in this new situation for the world economy? And China plays a very important role in that endeavor, on development, on trade, of course, as well. On technology, I mentioned the theme, 'The Intelligent Age'. What we are trying to communicate with that is that there is a huge opportunity around some of these technologies. What is quite special is that it's not only one technology, but we are seeing, at this moment, whole sets of technologies that are going to market and exponentially changing industry and economy. If we have this huge opportunity around these technologies, how do we design [not only] our dialogue mechanisms, but also our collaborative mechanisms to be able to harness these technologies for the benefit of the world economy while taking care of the risks," he said.
WEF official calls for mechanisms to foster dialogue in new tech era, boost world economy