The Guangdong government will spend 1.98 trillion RMB (291 billion USD) in 150 transportation, energy, water and information technology projects along the Pearl River Delta (PRD) to boost the area's integration by 2020, Xinhua reported on August 15.
According to the plan, no roaming fees or long-distance calls will be charged for mobile phone users within the PRD by January 2015. Long-distance call charges within the area will also be reduced.
The welfare and public service systems of the nine cities, including transport, education, health, cheap housing and jobs, will be integrated by 2020. The plan says that residents of the nine cities will be able to use just one card to ride on any mode of transport within the PRD.
In 2008, the National Development and Reform Commission released a long-term plan to promote the pan-PRD as a center for advanced manufacturing and modern service industries and as a center for international shipping, logistics, trade, conferences and exhibitions and tourism.
Plans also include the construction of a 29 km bridge linking Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai, the construction of 3,000 kilometers of highways in the region by 2012 and rail expansion of 1,099 kilometers by 2012 and 2,200 kilometers by 2020.
With a total area of 40,000 square kilometers and a population of 42 million, the PRD includes the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Foshan, Huizhou and Jiangmen. The most economically dynamic region on the mainland. The PRD economic zone accounts for an average of 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
