TNAG-2792-FCO40-4031-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1993 — Page 133

CC INF 14/93

Study of Development Trends in Guangdong Province

Background

Under the current review of the Territorial Development

Strategy (TDS), two broad scenarios have been postulated.

Scenario A assumes that the Pearl River Delta (PRD) will be the

primary economic hinterland of Hong Kong. Scenario B assumes that, in addition to the PRD, the economic hinterland of the

territory will cover the inner provinces. of China. These two

scenarios are not mutually exclusive but for the purposes of the

TDS Review are initially being considered individually in terms

of their likely impact on the scale, location and timing of

various major land uses and infrastructure services within the

territory.

2.

Over the next decade, the most significant impacts on the planning and development of Hong Kong will arise from the

various socio-economic pressures created by growth in the PRD and

other parts of Guangdong Province under the stimulus of China's

"Open Door Policy". This raises fundamental questions as to the complementary provision of key infrastructure facilities and other activities on both sides of the border to help ensure that

the various components of the wider region as a whole can achieve

mutually compatible strategic planning goals.

3.

Hitherto, it has been extremely difficult to predict

how Hong Kong should react to the changes occurring in Guangdong Province, in particular the PRD, principally because of the lack of comprehensive information on the nature, scale and likely implications of such changes. consultancy study was launched.

To help fill this gap a