The Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, including Hong Kong and Macao, will be built into "a globally competitive" and "vigorous area in Asia Pacific" by 2020, says a National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) plan released yesterday.

The PRD region includes cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Jiangmen, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Huizhou and Zhaoqing in the southern part of Guangdong province.

The NDRC has mapped out plans for cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao, as well as comprehensive development of the PRD region, including technology innovation, environmental protection and social welfare.