Policy review towards the transitions of regional development of digital governance in China: The case of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay (2013–2023)

Abstract

The central government of China has intensively guided regional integration and policy coordination towards the development of digital governance in the last ten years. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay was one of the most important regions of China expected to accelerate regional development through policy coordination and establishment of digital infrastructures. This article adopted the method of content analysis to explore the policy transitions of digital governance in the Greater Bay including policy contents (in terms of policy objectives and instruments) and policy networks. Based on our empirical analysis, we found that top-down guidance from the central government did not necessarily generate regional coordination. Different governments of the same region could start policy coordination from shared policy objectives and policy instruments and establish innovative governance frameworks to achieve consensus. Therefore, regional coordination could be fulfilled.