Rival Silicon Valley

China is stepping up its efforts, so announcing a long-awaited plan to link up its southern Pearl River Delta into a massive hub of technology, research finance and innovation. The possibilities and challenges of the project are both equally challenging and promising, according to analysts. Some describe the plan as an attempt to create a mega-city to rival Silicon Valley, the U.S. technology powerhouse that is home to companies such as Google, Facebook, and Apple. But while Silicon Valley has a population of 3.1 million, the Greater Bay Area will link up nine cities together with Hong Kong and Macau with a total population of about 70 million, and the economic heft, state media argues, to drive the Chinese economy, let alone the world.