Unified certification is emerging as an important driver of “soft connectivity” in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, streamlining cross-boundary trade and reinforcing the region’s economic vitality.
As a pivotal component of the Greater Bay Area’s market integration strategy, Greater Bay Area Certification aligns with the national goal of fostering a more cohesive regional economy, said Lu Yongchi, operating director of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Certification Promotion Center.
Greater Bay Area Certification is a high-end quality certification initiative launched by certification bodies and other market entities from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The program operates under a unified set of standards applicable across the region, with products and services carrying such certification being recognized in the three places.
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The initiative is part of the Greater Bay Area’s push to promote market integration. According to Guangdong province’s development blueprint for the next five years, unveiled earlier this month, the province vowed to enhance the level of integration across the region by introducing more projects with Greater Bay Area Certification and Greater Bay Area Standards.
“The alignment of inspection and certification rules among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will improve the ‘soft connectivity’ in the 11-city cluster,” Lu said.
“When enterprises obtain a Greater Bay Area Certificate, their products or services can enter markets in the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao simultaneously, which not only boosts their competitiveness but also strengthens the overall appeal of the Greater Bay Area as a unified production and consumption hub.”
The first batch of 15 projects with Greater Bay Area Certification was launched in December 2023. As of May this year, the number had increased to 153, covering such sectors as industrial consumer goods, agricultural and food products, green building materials and services.
Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com
