Coastal city is only mainland area with road links to Hong Kong and Macao

Zhuhai, a coastal city in South China's Guangdong province, is forging ahead to contribute to the economic and social development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a regional gateway, local officials and experts said.

The Bay Area program is a new attempt to promote opening-up and implement the "one country, two systems" policy, Guo Yonghang, Party secretary of Zhuhai, told Nanfang Daily earlier this year.

In the nation's master plan for developing the Bay Area, Zhuhai has been mentioned 20 times, showing its important role and new opportunity in the coming years, he said.

Guo added the city has seen a historic change in its geographic position.

After the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge opened in October 2018, Zhuhai became the only city on the Chinese mainland with bridge links to both Hong Kong and Macao. That distinction will allow Zhuhai to be a base for innovative companies, talent, capital, technology and culture - the basis for continuous vitality of a city, he said.

While building a high-standard transport hub, Zhuhai will further promote high-quality development of its coastal economy and make itself an important gateway of the Greater Bay Area, Guo said.