Governing Cross-Border Transport Infrastructure: Intergovernmental Competition and Coordination in the Making of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge^①

The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB) is a critical transport corridor built under the policy of “One Country, Two Systems.” It serves as a cross-border infrastructure facilitating the spatial restructuring and reterritorialization of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. This paper unravels the intergovernmental competition and coordination in the making of the HZMB through the lens of a game-theoretical approach. The findings reveal that actor’s dominance, route design, and benefit distribution are the focus of cross-border intergovernmental bargaining. Vertically, the intervention of China’s central government effectively reduced the uncertainties and risks. Horizontally, local governments strategically utilized tactics including upscaling and scale jumping to win over the central government’s support in favor of local interests. The paper argues that institution-building, particularly horizontal networking, and partnership-building should be reinforced to facilitate the cross-border spatial governance of the Greater Bay Area.