China establishes the largest megacity in the world
By now, China has merged nine of its cities into one, creating the largest metropolitan area on the planet. This new megacity has a population of 42 million – over 7 million greater than Tokyo, the previous record holder.
The cities being merged include Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the second and third largest cities in China with populations of 11.7 million and 8.9 million, respectively. This region covers much of China's manufacturing heartland, accounting for nearly a tenth of the Chinese economy.
Around 150 major infrastructure projects have meshed the transport, energy, water and telecommunications networks of these nine cities together, at a cost of some 2 trillion yuan ($304 billion). An express railway line connects the hub with nearby Hong Kong.
By the end of the decade, even larger megacities are emerging, with city zones of up to 100 million people.
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