The Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary , where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea . Referred to as the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area in official documents, the region is one of the most densely populated and urbanized regions in the world, and is considered a megacity by numerous scholars. It is currently the wealthiest region in Southern China and one of the wealthiest regions in China along with the Yangtze River Delta in Eastern China and Jingjinji in Northern China . Most of the region is part of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone , which is a special economic zone of China.
57-457: The region is a megalopolis , and is at the southern end of a larger megalopolis running along the southern coast of China, which include metropolises such as Hong Kong , Shenzhen , Guangzhou , Macao . The nine largest cities of the PRD had a combined population of 86 million in 2022, the PRD has become the largest urban area in the world in both size and population. The region's traditional language
114-415: A supercity , also called a megaregion , is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enough that coordinating policy is valuable, although the constituent metropolises keep their individual identities. The megalopolis concept has become highly influential as it introduced
171-459: A "Mega-City One" in the very next story. The Architects' Journal placed it at No. 1 in their list of "comic book cities". In William Gibson 's Sprawl trilogy , "the Sprawl" is a colloquial name for the " Boston - Atlanta Metropolitan Axis" (BAMA), an urban sprawl environment on a massive scale, and a fictional extension of the real Northeast megalopolis . The Sprawl is a visualization of
228-634: A "Turn The Pearl River Delta Into One" project. The stated goal was to "mesh the transport, energy, water and telecommunications networks of the nine cities together." (Hong Kong and Macau were not included.) However, the Chinese government denied that such a project existed. The Pearl River Delta is notoriously polluted. After thirty years of rapid industrialization, the Pearl River Delta has in parts been famed for pollution. Acid rain , smog , water pollution , and electronic waste contribute to
285-417: A Clean Production Audit according to Article 28 of China's Cleaner Production Promotion Law . Guangdong Environmental Protection Bureau took a stance against the companies by blacklisting them. Pearl River Delta is a strong source of greenhouse gases as well. Although it is hard to estimate overall greenhouse gas emissions from such a large megacity, scientists have shown that Pearl River Delta exhibits one of
342-491: A continuous urban area is of value, e.g., "to coordinate policy at this expanded scale". Simply put, a megalopolis (or a megaregion ) is a clustered network of big cities. Gottmann defined its population as 25 million, while Doxiadis defined a small megalopolis a similar cluster with a population of about 10 million. America 2050, a program of the Regional Plan Association (RPA), lists 11 megaregions in
399-545: A distinction from a similar concept " metropolitan area " ( 都市圈 ), which is of a smaller scale than a city cluster. In the latest standard terminologies of both economics and urban planning, 城市群 is translated as "city cluster", replacing "agglomeration". Megalopolises in China have become the subject of national government planning. In the Judge Dredd (1977) comic book series and its spinoff series, Mega-City One
456-1561: A future where virtually the entire East Coast of the United States , from Boston to Atlanta, has melded into a single mass of urban sprawl . It has been enclosed in several geodesic domes and merged into one megacity . The city has become a separate world with its own climate, no real night/day cycle, and an artificial sky that is always grey. Special Administrative Region of the People%27s Republic of China Provinces Autonomous regions Sub-provincial autonomous prefectures Autonomous prefectures Leagues (Aimag) (abolishing) Prefectures Provincial-controlled cities Provincial-controlled counties Autonomous counties County-level cities Districts Ethnic districts Banners (Hoxu) Autonomous banners Shennongjia Forestry District Liuzhi Special District Wolong Special Administrative Region Workers and peasants districts Ethnic townships Towns Subdistricts Subdistrict bureaux Sum Ethnic sum County-controlled districts County-controlled district bureaux (obsolete) Management committees Town-level city Areas Villages · Gaqa · Ranches Village Committees Communities Capital cities New areas Autonomous administrative divisions National Central Cities History: before 1912 , 1912–49 , 1949–present The special administrative regions ( SAR ) of
513-457: A long list of health problems such as cancer , endocrine disruption , renal failure and damage to the nervous system as well being known to harm the environment. Three of the five facilities sampled (Qingyuan Top Dragon Co. Ltd, Wing Fung P.C. Board Co. Ltd. and Techwise Qingyuan Circuit Co. Ltd. ) contained concentrations of chemicals which exceeded the limits set by Guangdong provincial effluent standards. These companies were then subjected to
570-486: A megaregion. "Megalopolis" and other similar terms have been used by different scholars and countries to describe similar spatial forms. A megalopolis, following the work of Gottmann, refers to two or more roughly adjacent metropolitan areas that, through a commonality of systems—e.g., of transport, economy, resources, and ecologies—experience a blurring of the boundaries between the population centers, such that while some degree of separation may remain, their perception as
627-521: A new, larger scale thinking about urban patterns and growth. The term comes from the Greek word megalo-polis (big city), and has specific geographic definitions dating from 1832, when its meaning was "a metropolis," that is, "a very large, heavily populated urban complex". In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jean Gottmann , a professor of political science at the University of Paris and member of
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#1732776552330684-483: A platform for serving global and Chinese markets. As of 2008, the Central Government has introduced new labor laws, environmental and other regulations to reduce pollution, industrial disputes, produce safer working conditions and protect the environment. The costs of producing low margin and commodity goods have increased. This is on top of the rising cost for energy, food, transport and the appreciation of
741-626: A report, "Poisoning the Pearl River" that detailed the results of a study it conducted in which 25 samples were collected from five manufacturing facilities in the Greater Pearl River Delta. The study concluded that all the facilities sampled were discharging waste-water containing chemicals with proven or suspected hazardous properties including beryllium , copper , manganese , and heavy metals , as well as high levels of organic chemicals. These substances are associated with
798-471: A road connection across the Pearl River between Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai, and is regularly traversed by buses and other public transit. There are daily high-speed catamaran services throughout the PRD region. The PRD is covered by seven civilian airports, with five in mainland China and two in special administrative regions. Two of the mainland airports have international flights. Mainland China: Special administrative regions: Another new airport in
855-509: A wide range of agreements with other countries and territories such as mutual abolition of visa requirement , mutual legal aid, air services, extradition , handling of double taxation and others, with no Chinese government involvement. However, in some diplomatic talks involving a SAR, the SAR concerned may choose to send officials to be part of the Chinese delegation. For example, when former Director of Health of Hong Kong Margaret Chan became
912-467: Is Cantonese ; in the late 20th century and the 21st century, due to the high inflow of migrant workers coming from other regions, Mandarin has gradually become a lingua franca . The west side of this region, along with Chaoshan , was also the source of much Chinese emigration from the 19th to the mid 20th centuries, including to the Western world , where they formed many Chinatowns . Today, much of
969-476: Is a huge fictional megalopolis-size city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States and some of Canada . The exact geography of the city depends on which writer and artist has done which story. However, from its first appearance it has been associated with New York City 's urban sprawl ; originally, it was presented as a future New York, which was retconned as the centre of
1026-642: Is not usually considered a part of the PRD region. After passing through the Lingyang Gorge and converging with the Bei Jiang, the Xi Jiang opens up and flows as far east as Nansha District and as far west as Xinhui . Major distributaries of the Xi include Donghui Shuidao, Jiya Shuidao, Hutiaomen Shuidao, Yinzhou Hu, and the main branch of the Xi Jiang. Jiangmen and Zhongshan are the major cities found in
1083-716: The Chinese diaspora in the US , Canada , Australia , Latin America , and much of Southeast Asia traces their ancestry to the west side of this region. The river delta, also known as the Golden Delta of Guangdong , is formed by three major rivers, the Xi Jiang (West River), Bei Jiang (North River), and Dong Jiang (East River). The flat lands of the delta are criss-crossed by a network of tributaries and distributaries of
1140-680: The Greater China Region . HKETOs serve as a quasi- interests section in favour of Hong Kong . DECMs serve as a quasi- interests section in favour of Macao . For regions with no HKETOs and DECMs, Chinese diplomatic missions take charge of protecting Hong Kong-related and Macau-related interests. Some countries which have a diplomatic relationship with the central Chinese government maintain Consulate-General offices in Hong Kong and Macau. In sporting events such as
1197-553: The Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton , directed "A Study of Megalopolis" for The Twentieth Century Fund , wherein he described a megalopolis as a "world of ideas". Gottmann, in his extensive studies, applied the term megalopolis to an analysis of the urbanized northeastern seaboard of the U.S., in particular from Boston , Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. (the Northeast megalopolis ). A megalopolis may also be called
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#17327765523301254-544: The Olympic Games or Asian Games , the SARs may have their own independent teams. They participate under the respective names of " Hong Kong , China" and " Macau , China", and compete as different entities as they had done since they were under foreign rules, but both SARs are usually allowed to omit the term ", China" for informal use. The People's Liberation Army is garrisoned in both SARs. PRC authorities have said
1311-598: The United Nations , and their Basic laws , the Chinese SARs "shall enjoy a high degree of autonomy ". Generally, the two SARs are not considered to constitute a part of mainland China , by both SAR and mainland Chinese authorities. The provision to establish special administrative regions appeared in the constitution in 1982, in anticipation of the talks with the United Kingdom over the question of
1368-539: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme , estimates the population of the delta region at 120 million people; it is rapidly urbanising. The eastern side of the PRD (Shenzhen, Dongguan), dominated by foreign capital, is the most developed economically. The western areas (Foshan, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen), dominated by local private capital, are open for development. New transport links between Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai in
1425-703: The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, she served as a delegate from the People's Republic of China to the WHO. At the same time they are members of various international organizations such as WTO, APEC, etc. [REDACTED] Hong Kong [REDACTED] Macao The Government of Hong Kong and Government of Macao have established Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) and Delegação Económica e Comercial de Macaus (DECMs) respectively in some countries, as well as in
1482-417: The renminbi against the falling US dollar . Some manufacturers will need to cut costs by moving up the value chain or moving to more undeveloped regions. The Pearl River Delta established itself as the factory location of choice for global companies that were headquartered in Hong Kong in the 1980s. The industrial output of the Pearl River Delta was generated in the main by state-owned enterprises. Meanwhile
1539-646: The Chinese Constitution. For the Wolong Special Administrative Region in Sichuan Province , please see the section Wolong below. The two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau (created in 1997 and 1999 respectively) each have a codified constitution called Basic Law . The law provides the regions with a high degree of autonomy, a separate political system, and a capitalist economy under
1596-665: The National People's Congress in the light of the specific conditions". At present, there are two SARs established by the Constitution: Hong Kong and Macau . These former British and Portuguese territories were transferred to China in 1997 and 1999, following the Sino-British and Sino-Portuguese Joint Declarations signed in 1984 and 1987, respectively. Pursuant to their Joint Declarations, which are binding inter-state treaties registered with
1653-593: The PLA will not be allowed to interfere with the local affairs of Hong Kong and Macau, and must abide by its laws. In 1988, scholar Chen Fang of the Academy of Military Science even tried to propose the "One military, two systems" concept to separate the defence function and public functions in the army. The PLA does not participate in the governance of the SAR but the SAR may request them for civil-military participation, in times of emergency such as natural disasters . Defence
1710-455: The PRD are expected to open up new areas for development, further integrate the cities, and facilitate trade within the region. The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge , and the proposed Shenzhen–Zhongshan Bridge , currently in the planning phase, will be amongst the longest bridges in the world with a total length of approximately 50 km (31 mi) each. Until 1985, the PRD had been mainly dominated by farms and small rural villages, but after
1767-666: The Pearl River Delta Economic Zone has been the fastest growing portion of the fastest growing province in the fastest growing large economy in the world. The industrial cities in the Pearl River Delta have been called the "Factory of the World" or the "World's Factory" due to the presence of industrial parks populated with factories from foreign investments. However, the target market of the delta region's exports has become increasingly domestic rather than foreign. Dongguan , Zhongshan , Nanhai , and Shunde are
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1824-404: The Pearl River Delta accounted for 9.1 percent of China's GDP. These figures show the remarkable level of economic development to which the Pearl River Delta has been subjected in order to become an 'Economic Zone', as well as the international orientation of the region's economy. This orientation has attracted numerous investors from all over the world who use the Greater Pearl River Delta region as
1881-682: The Pearl River Delta. PRD is served by six different metro systems throughout the metropolitan area consisting of Guangzhou Metro , Shenzhen Metro , MTR , FMetro , Macau Light Rail Transit and Dongguan Rail Transit . In addition, the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region intercity railway provides regional transit between cities of the PRD. The entire PRD is fully covered by railway, high-speed rail, or intercity-rail services. All cities are served by buses and taxis, while some cities may still offer motorcycle service. The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge provides
1938-529: The Pearl River estuary during antiquity. As well as the delta itself, the term Pearl River Delta refers to the dense network of cities that covers nine prefectures of the province of Guangdong, namely Dongguan , Foshan , Guangzhou , Huizhou , Jiangmen , Shenzhen , Zhaoqing , Zhongshan and Zhuhai and the SARs of Hong Kong and Macau . The 2010/2011 State of the World Cities report, published by
1995-585: The Pearl River. The Pearl River Delta is actually two alluvial deltas, separated by the core branch of the Pearl River . The Bei Jiang and Xi Jiang converge to flow into the South China Sea and Pearl River in the west, while the Dong Jiang only flows into the Pearl River proper in the east. The Xi Jiang begins exhibiting delta-like characteristics as far west as Zhaoqing , although this city
2052-531: The People's Republic of China are one of four types of province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China directly under the control of its Central People's Government (State Council), being integral areas of the country. As a region, they possess the highest degree of autonomy from China's central government. However, despite the relative autonomy that the Central People's Government offers
2109-580: The United States and Canada . Megaregions of the United States were explored in a July 2005 report by Robert E. Lang and Dawn Dhavale of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech . A later 2007 article by Lang and Nelson uses 20 "megapolitan" areas grouped into 10 megaregions. The concept is based on the original "Megalopolis model". Modern interlinked ground transportation corridors , such as rail and highway, often aid in
2166-537: The area is frequently covered with a brown smog. This has a strong effect on the pollution levels in the delta. On 22 March 2007 the World Bank approved a $ 96 million loan to the PRC government to reduce water pollution in the Pearl River Delta. On December 23, 2008, it was announced that ¥48.6 billion (about $ 7.1 billion) will be spent on the river by mid-2010 to clean up the river's sewage problems quoted by Zhang Hu ,
2223-466: The autonomous level. Special administrative regions should not be confused with special economic zones , which are areas in which special economic laws apply to promote trade and investments . The Wolong Special Administrative Region in Sichuan province is a nature reserve and not a political division. There are currently two special administrative regions established according to Article 31 of
2280-458: The development of megalopolises. Using these commuter passageways to travel throughout the megalopolis is informally called megaloping , a term coined by Davide Gadren and Stefan Berteau. In Brazil, the term megarregião has a legal meaning, different from the English word megaregion : mesoregions of Brazil ( mesorregião ) and microregions of Brazil ( microrregião ). In China ,
2337-479: The director of Guangzhou municipal bureau of water affairs. The city will build about 30 water treatment plants , which will treat 2.25 million tonnes of water per day. The program hopes to cut down the amount of sewage in the area by 85%, and was also of fundamental importance for the 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou from November 12, 2010, to November 27, 2010. In October 2009 Greenpeace East Asia released
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2394-484: The economy was reformed and opened, a flood of investment turned it into the land's economic powerhouse. The PRD's startling growth was fueled by foreign investment coming largely from Hong Kong manufacturers that moved their operations into the PRD. In 2003, Hong Kong companies employed 11 million workers in their PRD operations. Lately there have been extreme labour shortages in the region due to runaway economic growth which caused wages to rise by about 20 to 30 percent in
2451-501: The four cities known as the Four Guangdong Dragons for their high growth rates and rapid development from late the 1980s to the 2000s. Although the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone encompasses only 0.4 percent of the land area and only 3.2 percent of the 2000 census population of mainland China, it accounted for 8.7 percent of GDP, 35.8 percent of total trade, and 29.2 percent of utilised foreign capital in 2001. By 2016
2508-455: The industrial output of collective-owned enterprises diminished over time, with private enterprises and joint ventures increasing their share of the Pearl River Delta's industrial output to 37.5 percent by the mid-1990s. Today urban areas with the assistance of the municipal governments in the Pearl River Delta are attempting to rebrand industrial output as originating from "the world's tech lab" or "design studio". The Pearl River Delta has become
2565-506: The main branch of the Pearl River just north of Guangzhou . The other major city in the north section of the delta is Foshan . The Dong Jiang flows through Huizhou into the delta. It begins diverging northeast of Dongguan into many distributaries, including the Dongguan Shuidao. Distributuares enter the Pearl River as far north as Luogang and as far south as Hu Men (Tiger Gate) . Saltwater crocodiles were present within
2622-2311: The mainland — Pearl River Delta International Airport — located in Gaoming District , Foshan — is under construction. Districts: Yuexiu , Liwan , Haizhu , Tianhe , Baiyun , Huangpu , Panyu , Huadu , Nansha , Zengcheng , Conghua New Area: Nansha Districts: Futian , Luohu , Nanshan , Yantian , Bao'an , Longgang , Pingshan , Longhua , Guangming New District: Dapeng Districts: Xiangzhou , Doumen , Jinwan New Area: Hengqin Districts: Chancheng , Nanhai , Shunde , Sanshui , Gaoming Subdistricts: Dongcheng , Guancheng , Nancheng , Wanjiang Towns: Chang'an , Changping , Chashan , Dalang , Dalingshan , Daojiao , Dongkeng , Fenggang , Gaobu , Hengli , Hongmei , Houjie , Huangjiang , Humen , Liaobu , Machong , Qiaotou , Qingxi , Qishi , Shatian , Shijie , Shilong , Shipai , Tangxia , Wangniudun , Xiegang , Zhangmutou , Zhongtang Subdistricts: Dongqu , Nanqu , Shiqi , Xiqu , Wuguishan Subdistrict , ZTHIDZ (Zhongshangang) Towns: Banfu , Dachong , Dongfeng , Dongsheng , Fusha , Gangkou , Guzhen , Henglan ,l Huangpu , Nanlang , Nantou , Minzhong , Sanjiao , Sanxiang , Shaxi , Shenwan , Tanzhou , Xiaolan New Area: Cuiheng Districts: Jianghai , Pengjiang , Xinhui County-level Cities: Enping , Taishan , Kaiping , Heshan Districts: Huicheng , Huiyang Counties: Boluo , Huidong , Longmen Districts: Duanzhou , Dinghu , Gaoyao Counties: Guangning , Huaiji , Fengkai , Deqing County-level City: Sihui Districts: Central and Western , Eastern , Southern , Wan Chai , Kowloon City , Kwun Tong , Sham Shui Po , Wong Tai Sin , Yau Tsim Mong , Islands , Kwai Tsing , North , Sai Kung , Sha Tin , Tai Po , Tsuen Wan , Tuen Mun , Yuen Long Freguesia: Nossa Senhora de Fátima , Santo António , São Lázaro , Sé , São Lourenço , Nossa Senhora do Carmo , São Francisco Xavier Zone: Cotai A 2011 article in British newspaper The Telegraph reported on
2679-468: The official term corresponding to the meaning of "megalopolis" is ' 城市群 ' ( chéngshì qún ), which, in Chinese, was originally coined by Yao Shimou and literally means "city cluster". A "city cluster" is defined as "[a]n area in which cities are relatively densely distributed in a certain region". In an older standard, the term was mistranslated as " agglomeration ". In 2019, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) published guidelines and made
2736-401: The past two years. The Pearl River Delta has been one of the most economically dynamic regions of the People's Republic of China since the launch of China's reform programme in 1979. With annual gross domestic product growth of 13.45 percent over three decades since 1978, it is 3.5 percentage points higher than the national average. Since 1978 almost 30 percent of all foreign investment in China
2793-406: The perceived problems. In travel literature the Pearl River Delta has been titillated as among the most attractive "pollution day trips from Hong Kong". Treatment facilities for sewage and industrial waste are failing to keep pace with the growth in population and industry in the area. A large portion of the pollution is brought about by factories run by Hong Kong manufacturers in the area. Much of
2850-568: The principle of " one country, two systems " proposed by Deng Xiaoping . Currently, the two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for all affairs except those regarding diplomatic relations and national defence. Consequently, the National People's Congress authorises the SAR to exercise a high degree of autonomy and enjoy executive, legislative and independent judicial powers, and each with their own Courts of Final Appeal . Special administrative regions are empowered to contract
2907-859: The sovereignty over Hong Kong. It was envisioned as the model for the eventual unification with Taiwan and other islands, where the Republic of China has resided since 1949. Under the one country, two systems principle, the Chinese Central Government is responsible for the diplomatic, military and other state-level affairs of the two SARs. Both two SARs continue to possess their own multi-party legislatures, legal systems , police forces , separate customs territory , immigration policies , left-hand traffic , official languages , academic and educational systems , representation on certain international bodies and representation in international competitions, and other aspects that fall within
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#17327765523302964-646: The special administrative regions, the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee remains capable of enforcing laws for the special administrative regions. The legal basis for the establishment of SARs, unlike the other administrative divisions of China , is provided for by Article 31, rather than Article 30, of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China of 1982. Article 31 reads: "The state may establish special administrative regions when necessary. The systems to be instituted in special administrative regions shall be prescribed by law enacted by
3021-1123: The strongest anomalies in carbon dioxide concentration around the world. This enhancement is easily discernible from satellite observations. 22°32′N 113°44′E / 22.533°N 113.733°E / 22.533; 113.733 Direct-administered municipalities . Sub-provincial cities as provincial capitals . Separate state-planning cities . Special economic-zone cities . Open coastal cities . Prefecture capital status established by Heilongjiang Province and not recognized by Ministry of Civil Affairs. Disputed by Oroqen Autonomous Banner , Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia as part of it. Only administers islands and waters in South China Sea and have no urban core comparable to typical cities in China. The claimed province of Taiwan no longer have any internal division announced by Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, due to lack of actual jurisdiction. See Template:Administrative divisions of Taiwan instead. Megalopolis (city type) A megalopolis ( / ˌ m ɛ ɡ ə ˈ l ɒ p ə l ɪ s / ) or
3078-521: The western section of the delta. The Bei Jiang enters the delta plains at Qingyuan but does not begin to split until near Sanshui . From here the two main distributaries are Tanzhou Shuidao and Shunde Shuidao which form multiple mouths along the west side of the Pearl River's estuary. Two other distributaries, Lubao Yong and Xinan Yong, split from the Bei further north and converge with the Liuxi He to form
3135-514: The world's goods were produced in the Greater Pearl River Delta, with a total export value of US$ 289 billion. Over 70,000 Hong Kong companies had factory plants in the Greater Pearl River Delta. In the Pearl River Delta an extensive system of container feeder shipping has been established. This system of containerization also serves ports within the same region. The container port of Shenzhen has surpassed Hong Kong as major hub with Guangzhou serving as another significant container shipping hub for
3192-554: The world's workshop and is a major manufacturing base for products such as electronics , garments and textiles , plastic products, and a range of other goods. Private-owned enterprises have developed quickly in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone and are playing an increasing role in the region's economy, particularly after year 2000 when the development environment for private-owned enterprises has been greatly relaxed. In 2001 nearly five percent of
3249-423: Was in the PRD. In 2007 its GDP rose to US$ 448 billion which makes its economy about the size of Taiwan's and by 2019 this figure has increased to US$ 2.0 trillion or about the same size as Canada . The abundance of employment opportunities created a pool of wealthy, middle-income, professional consumers with an annual per capita income that puts them among China's wealthiest. Since the onset of China's reform program,
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