The Guangdong provincial government on December 20 released the development plans for five metropolitan areas, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Pearl River West, Shantou-Chaozhou-Jieyang, and Zhanjiang-Maoming. The outlined period is from 2023 to 2030, with vision extending to 2035.

The Pearl River West Metropolitan Area Development Plan clearly states its scope to include the administrative regions under the jurisdiction of Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Yangjiang, providing a roadmap for the development of these four cities.

According to the plan, the Pearl River West Metropolitan Area will be serve as a significant growth pole of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, an advanced equipment manufacturing base with global influence, a new hub for high-level opening up and cooperation, and a high-quality development region suitable for living, working and traveling.

The plan aims to fully leverage Zhongshan's geographical, historical and cultural advantages and vigorously develop such industries as new energy, biomedicine and healthcare, next-gen information technology, smart home appliances and high-end equipment manufacturing relying on major platforms such as Torch Development Zone, Cuiheng New District and Qijiang New Town. This will boost the transformation of the traditional manufacturing industries, contributing to the establishment of Zhongshan as a national manufacturing first-tier city and a development hub for the modern service industry. Additionally, efforts should be made to accelerate the establishment of a pilot for integrated development amid the Pearl River Delta, an experimental area and a supporting point for reform and innovation for the integrated development of the east and west banks of the Pearl River, a hub city at the coastal economic belt, and an important pole in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Zhongshan will strive to become a boutique city within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.