灣區新時代開啟 港善用可破瓶頸

<轉載自2018年10月24日 明報 社評>

港珠澳大橋舉行開通儀式，國家主席習近平親自出席，突顯中央重視。港珠澳大橋開通的意義，需要從宏觀歷史角度理解。大橋通車見證改革開放40年歷史巨變、標誌內地由「橋樑大國」邁向「橋樑強國」，亦是香港與內地未來發展重要里程碑。內地要由「大國」走向「強國」，香港亦需打破瓶頸謀劃未來，大橋開通能推動粵港澳大灣區建設，可以成為內地與香港升級轉型的引擎。大灣區融合將令香港身處的區域環境顯著變化，「聯繫人」角色已經過時，香港需要積極參與規劃，不能被動「等運到」。

內地「大國」邁向「強國」 大橋折射改革蛻變

港珠澳大橋總長約55公里，是世界最長跨海大橋。在中央眼中，港珠澳大橋是繼1990年代三峽工程、21世紀初青藏鐵路後，中國最大型超級基建工程，無論對香港還是內地發展，都有重大意義。外界最初預計，習近平可能會發表有關改革開放40年的講話，然而他在開通儀式中，只說了「我宣布港珠澳大橋正式開通」12個字。另外，習近平進場和離場時，與香港行政長官林鄭月娥並肩而行，亦惹來不少議論。

興建港珠澳大橋由港府提出，專為連接香港與珠三角西岸而設，林鄭獲安排與習近平並肩而行，反映中央重視香港，亦突顯港府要扮演牽頭角色。林鄭致辭表示，大橋連同赤鱲角機場，可讓大嶼山成為通往大灣區和世界的雙門戶，又冀望「明日大嶼願景」可為香港締造更美好未來，「明日大嶼」與港珠澳大橋如何相互促進，相信中央會密切注意往後發展。

副總理韓正形容大橋是中國由「橋樑大國」走向「橋樑強國」重要標誌，習近平更將大橋開通提升至「四個自信」（道路自信、理論自信、制度自信、文化自信）的政治高度，形容它是「自信橋」和「復興橋」。對內地而言，興建港珠澳大橋所面對的困難，正好突出刻下國家力爭蛻變成為發達國家的難度。

由「大國」走向「強國」，是內地當前最重要課題，需靠科技創新產業升級拉動。以興建橋樑為例，內地有超過100萬座橋樑，遠超其他國家，全球跨度最長的橋樑，中國佔了一半，「橋樑大國」當之無愧，不過若要成為「橋樑強國」，還須在橋樑工程理論研究、結構耐久性和施工技術等方面，追上發達國家水平。港珠澳大橋是中國首次大規模建設外海沉管隧道，外國顧問公司曾開天索價1.5億歐元諮詢費，最終中方團隊靠自己力量，自行克服一系列技術困難。大橋建成不代表內地已一蹴而就成為全方位科技強國，惟至少說明內地有能力自我提升，達到發達世界水平。

區域發展出現新形勢 港須審時度勢早綢繆

港珠澳大橋由構思、興建到建成，折射改革開放40年巨變，以及內地與香港關係變遷。1980年代初，港商胡應湘提議興建大橋，遭港英政府反對，直至2003年才由特區政府向中央提請上馬。在這廿年間，建橋目的已出現巨大變化，由最初促進內地開放、拉近香港與珠三角經濟差距，變成中央支持香港走出經濟低谷，鞏固本港金融貿易和航運中心地位。2009年大橋動工，至今正式開通，短短9年間珠三角變化更是驚人。美歐金融海嘯促使廣東省「騰籠換鳥」升級產業，創科發展更勝香港。中共十九大勾勒現代化強國藍圖，提出港澳融入國家發展大局，內地與香港發展已進入新階段，仍以廿年前心態看待兩地合作，必然落後於形勢。

當年特區政府短視，反對港珠澳大橋採用「雙Y設計」，未讓深圳入局，外界擔心大橋車流不足，然而過去40年歷史亦說明，內地發展潛力難以估量。習近平強調要「用好管好大橋，為大灣區建設發揮重要作用」，很難想像中央會容許大灣區發展歎慢板、任由大橋車流疏落。粵港澳大灣區是重大國家戰略，港珠澳大橋則是大灣區融合主要基建動脈，誰也說不準10多年後，珠三角東西兩岸新形勢如何，對於大橋長遠車流，現階段不用過度悲觀。

港珠澳大橋開通，大灣區1小時生活圈漸漸成形，為香港帶來嶄新的區域發展機會，以及種種新的可能。舉例說，港珠澳大橋開通加上機場三跑，可加強香港作為大灣區國際航空樞紐角色，未來香港過境客有機會大增，政府應及早綢繆，為香港重新定位開創新局。過去香港經常強調扮演聯繫人角色，充當內地與國際橋樑，然而隨着內地發展踏上新台階，香港必須更進一步主動參與大灣區規劃，不能守株待兔「被規劃」。大灣區面向東南亞，中央目標是要讓大灣區「走出去」，配合一帶一路國策。今年8月林鄭獲邀出席粵港澳大灣區建設領導小組會議，首度參與中央層面決策，反映中央對香港有期許，特區政府不應錯過參與規劃促進香港長遠發展的機會。

Mega bridge marks a new era for Bay Area

PRESIDENT Xi Jinping's attendance at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) has highlighted its importance attached by the central government of China. One has to comprehend the meaning of the bridge's opening from the angle of macro-history. The bridge's opening is a monument to the massive historical changes over the 40 years of China's reform and opening up. It is also a symbol of the mainland's march from a "major bridge-power" towards a "strong bridge-power" as well as an important milestone in the future development of Hong Kong and the mainland. As much as the mainland has to grow from a "major power" to a "strong power", Hong Kong also has to break through its bottleneck and plan for the future. The opening of the bridge can give impetus to the building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Greater Bay Area). It can also become the engine powering the upgrading and transformation of the mainland and Hong Kong. The integration of the Greater Bay Area will bring about significant changes to the circumstances surrounding the region that includes Hong Kong. The city's role as a "connector" is already outdated. It should take part actively in planning out its future rather than "passively wait for good luck".

Spanning about 55 kilometres, the HZMB is the world's longest sea crossing. In the eyes of the central government, the HZMB is the nation's biggest mega infrastructure project after the Three Gorges Project in the 1990s and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway built at the beginning of the 21st century. The project is of the utmost importance to Hong Kong's and the mainland's development. It was at first expected that Xi might give a speech about the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up. However, it turned out that he just uttered during the ceremony a sentence twelve Chinese characters long: "I declare the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge officially open". Furthermore, the fact that he walked side by side with Hong Kong Chief Executive Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor both when entering and when leaving the venue has also raised much concern and discussion.

The idea of building the HZMB was proposed by the Hong Kong government for the sake of connecting the city with the western coast of the Pearl River Delta. The arrangement that Lam entered the ceremony side by side with Xi reflects the importance of Hong Kong in the eyes of the central government. It also highlights Beijing's expectation of the Hong Kong government to play a leading role. When addressing the audience, Lam said that with the new bridge and Chek Lap Kok International Airport nearby, Lantau Island would become a double gateway to the Greater Bay Area and the world, and the "Lantau Tomorrow Vision" project would create a better future for Hong Kong. One may foresee the central government will keep a close watch on how the "Lantau Tomorrow" project and the HZMB mutually benefit each other and how things will go in the future.

From the birth of idea, the construction to the completion of the project, the HZMB project has been a reflection of the massive changes over the 40 years of China's reform and opening-up as well as the evolution of the relationship between Hong Kong and the mainland. The bridge was first proposed by local businessman Gordon Wu in the early 1980s, but the idea was opposed by the British colonial government. It was not until 2003 that the SAR government proposed the concept to the central government of China and was given the go-ahead. During those two decades in between, the purpose of building the bridge also changed radically. At first the project was intended to boost the mainland's opening-up and narrow down the economic differences between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. But now the project has become an embodiment of the central government's support in saving Hong Kong from an economic trough and reinforcing the city's status as a financial, trading and shipping hub.

With the opening of the HZMB, the concept of "one-hour living circle" in the Greater Bay Area will also gradually take shape, bringing to Hong Kong brand new opportunities of regional development and new possibilities of all sorts. For example, the HZMB together with the third runway of the Hong Kong International Airport can give Hong Kong a role to play as an international aviation hub in the Greater Bay Area, which may mean a huge increase in the volume of cross-boundary passengers in the future. The government should plan forward and break fresh ground for the repositioning of Hong Kong.

灣區新時代開啟 港善用可破瓶頸

港珠澳大橋舉行開通儀式，國家主席習近平親自出席，突顯中央重視。港珠澳大橋開通的意義，需要從宏觀歷史角度理解。大橋通車見證改革開放40年歷史巨變、標誌內地由「橋樑大國」邁向「橋樑強國」，亦是香港與內地未來發展重要里程碑。內地要由「大國」走向「強國」，香港亦需打破瓶頸謀劃未來，大橋開通能推動粵港澳大灣區建設，可以成為內地與香港升級轉型的引擎。大灣區融合將令香港身處的區域環境顯著變化，「聯繫人」角色已經過時，香港需要積極參與規劃，不能被動「等運到」。

港珠澳大橋總長約55公里，是世界最長跨海大橋。在中央眼中，港珠澳大橋是繼1990年代三峽工程、21世紀初青藏鐵路後，中國最大型超級基建工程，無論對香港還是內地發展，都有重大意義。外界最初預計，習近平可能會發表有關改革開放40年的講話，然而他在開通儀式中，只說了「我宣布港珠澳大橋正式開通」12個字。另外，習近平進場和離場時，與香港行政長官林鄭月娥並肩而行，亦惹來不少議論。

興建港珠澳大橋由港府提出，專為連接香港與珠三角西岸而設，林鄭獲安排與習近平並肩而行，反映中央重視香港，亦突顯港府要扮演牽頭角色。林鄭致辭表示，大橋連同赤鱲角機場，可讓大嶼山成為通往大灣區和世界的雙門戶，又冀望「明日大嶼願景」可為香港締造更美好未來，「明日大嶼」與港珠澳大橋如何相互促進，相信中央會密切注意往後發展。

港珠澳大橋由構思、興建到建成，折射改革開放40年巨變，以及內地與香港關係變遷。1980年代初，港商胡應湘提議興建大橋，遭港英政府反對，直至2003年才由特區政府向中央提請上馬。在這廿年間，建橋目的已出現巨大變化，由最初促進內地開放、拉近香港與珠三角經濟差距，變成中央支持香港走出經濟低谷，鞏固本港金融貿易和航運中心地位。

港珠澳大橋開通，大灣區1小時生活圈漸漸成形，為香港帶來嶄新的區域發展機會，以及種種新的可能。舉例說，港珠澳大橋開通加上機場三跑，可加強香港作為大灣區國際航空樞紐角色，未來香港過境客有機會大增，政府應及早綢繆，為香港重新定位開創新局。