China plans its own 'Silicon Valley' in mega urbanised region three times the size of the San Francisco Bay Area State Council unveiled ambitious plans for its Greater Bay Area late on Monday The region includes 11 cities in the Pearl River Delta and covers 56,100 sq km Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou named as four key cities in plan Officials aim to integrate all cities into a technology and economic powerhouseBy Kelsey Cheng For Mailonline Published: 12:49 GMT, 19 February 2019 | Updated: 12:50 GMT, 19 February 2019 Viewcomments China has revealed ambitious plans to build its own Greater Bay Area to rival Silicon Valley in the US. The blueprint of the Greater Bay Area, published by Xinhua News Agency late Monday, aims to link 11 cities in the Pearl River Delta area and integrate them into a technology and economic powerhouse in southern China by 2035. The region, with a population of more than 67 million people, covers 56,100 square kilometres (21,660 square miles) and is three times the area of California's famous technology centre. The blueprint of the Greater Bay Area, published by Xinhua News Agency late Monday, aims to link 11 cities including Hong Kong (above), Macau, Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta area and integrate them into a technology and economic powerhouse in southern China by 2035 The Apple Campus 2 is under construction in Cupertino in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2017. China has revealed plans to build its own Greater Bay Area to rival Silicon Valley Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be the four key cities of the Bay Area driving the region's economic development, according to the blueprint. The development plans will 'further enhance and support a leading role of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area in national economic development and opening up', the State Council said in the guidelines. Authorities will expand and upgrade airports in the four key cities and accelerate construction of large-scale oil reserves bases in the Pearl River Delta area, Xinhua said. The government will build a rapid transport network within the bay area, and work on reducing travel time among major cities to an hour or less to increase connectivity. Macau will focus on becoming an international tourism hub and platform for trade with Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil, according to the guidelines Shenzhen would expand its role as a special economic zone and technology hub The plans pledged to enhance Hong Kong's status as an international finance, transportation and trade centre and Macau will focus on becoming an international tourism hub and platform for trade with Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil. Guangzhou would take a leading administrative role as a provincial capital and Shenzhen would expand its role as a special economic zone and technology hub. At the same time, Beijing eventually hopes to create a single market through the elimination of trade barriers and the encouragement of business and expertise exchange between cities. Financial institutions in the Greater Bay Area will be allowed to conduct spot and forward yuan trading and yuan derivatives transactions as well as cross-border yuan lending. An aerial view of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in Zhuhai, Guangdong. China has already spent billions of dollars on infrastructure projects linking the cities China Greater Bay Area Coverage: 9 municipalities in Guangdong, plus Hong Kong, Macao Area: 56,100 sq km, or 21,660 sq m Population: 69 million San Francisco Bay Area Coverage: 9 counties bordering the San Francisco Bay Area: 17,900 sq km, or 6,911 sq m Population: 7.7 million The region has grown from an agricultural area in the 1980s to Asia's largest and most populous urban area, having leapfrogged the Tokyo Bay area's population in 2010. China has already spent billions of dollars on infrastructure projects linking its cities. In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated the world's longest sea-crossing bridge connecting Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland city of Zhuhai. Peter Wong, deputy chairman and chief executive of HSBC's Asia Pacific operations, said the latest plan will help leverage the strengths of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau in the technology, financial and tourism industries. 'With the direction given by this policy, cities and regions in the Greater Bay Area can develop plans to leverage those complementary strengths more effectively,' Wong said. Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility