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.