The "100-kilometer Golden Inner Bay around the Pearl River Estuary" strategy proposed by Guangdong Province is a pivotal blueprint of the GBA's regional integration.
I. Connotation and Significance of the "Golden Inner Bay"
The Golden Inner Bay centers on approximately 100 km of coastline around the Pearl River Estuary, geographically shaped like a "V", spanning three metropolitan areas. Its strategic significance includes: achieving a "half-hour economic circle" between the eastern and western banks via mega-crossings; forming innovation engines through the GBA's two major science and technology corridors and high-energy platforms; and building an industrial division system that transcends administrative barriers.
II. Enabling the Bay Area Economy through the "Golden Inner Bay"
The enabling effects manifest in three dimensions: 1) Spatial Restructuring—the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link and the planned Shenzhen-Zhuhai Link transforms the "V"-shaped division into "A"-shaped connectivity, creating a holistic "bay area" spatial perception; 2) Industrial Synergy—promoting cross-city industrial chain collaboration in electronics, EVs, and AI; 3) Innovation Pattern—leveraging two innovation corridors to build a "Science and Technology Innovation Triangle" , driving new quality productive forces.
III. Bay Area Economy vs. Marine Economy: Overlaps and Distinctions
Overlaps: the Golden Inner Bay hosts world-class ports, where port logistics and shipping services constitute the bay area economy's industrial foundation.
Distinctions: marine economy is "sea-oriented" with a global outlook, while bay area economy focuses on land-based urban integration; marine economy centers on sea-related industries, whereas bay area economy encompasses manufacturing, finance, and innovation; marine economy requires sea-use and ecological policy frameworks, while bay area economy prioritizes cross-administrative coordination. The bay area economy tends toward "inward agglomeration", whereas the marine economy "outward radiation". Addressing only the bay area economy confines development to land-based circulation; only by integrating the marine economy can the region unlock prosperity through the sea.
IV. The "Golden Inner Bay + Lingdingyang" Integrated Planning Framework
However, the Golden Inner Bay's core logic remains land-based, with a notably weak marine orientation. This paper proposes a "Golden Inner Bay + Lingdingyang" framework integrating land-based industrial synergy, marine spatial resource development, and Hong Kong-Macao institutional linkages, including pathways on spatial, industry and institution. The framework aims to propel the GBA from "physical integration" to "chemical integration" and from "embracing the bay" to "empowering through the sea". Implementation must balance development with ecological protection, pre-designating red lines and safety buffers in sensitive areas such as Chinese white dolphin habitats and shipping anchorages.