The Spatial Production and Driving Mechanisms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Regional Integration: Based on Theories of Lefebvre and de Certeau

Increased regional integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region has rendered cross-regional interaction a normalized lifestyle for residents of the three regions. Currently, most research on spatial production in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao focuses on macro perspectives such as globalization, national policies, regional planning, and intergovernmental relations. However, the roles and functions of residents and their daily life practices in spatial production have not received significant attention. By combining Lefebvre's "spatial triad" and de Certeau's "everyday life practices" theories, this study adopts a micro perspective to explain how power and capital manipulate the spatial production in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region and discipline residents' daily lives. Additionally, it discusses how residents resist the representation of space in their daily practices, thereby revealing the dynamic mechanisms of spatial production in the region. Research indicates the following: 1) Under the intertwined dynamics of power logic and capital rules, the spatial representation of "regional integration" in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region, characterized by both "deep integration" and "relative independence," has been gradually constructed. 2) Drawing on the concept of "ink resistance" from de Certeau's theory of everyday life practices, resistant spatial representations could be categorized into three types: covert resistance, aggressive resistance, and production by consumers. These three forms of resistant spatial practices exhibit differences in form and mechanism, yet sharing an intrinsic "creativity" of resistance behavior and highlighting the agency of life subjects. 3) In specific life scenarios, the boundary between the "strong," represented by power and capital, and the "weak," represented by life subjects, is not always explicit. In the practice of cross-domain life, the subject of life often presents a dual identity: on the one hand, the subject of life itself; on the other hand, the "agent" of the government and capital, who "breaks into" the living space of others with a new role of spatial subject, and suppresses others. 4) The relationship between manipulation and resistance is not extreme antagonism; instead, resistance actions provide opportunities to restructure the spatial order. The interplay between manipulation and resistance nurtures creativity and positivity in daily life. Thus, resistance within everyday life practices is a key driver in transforming the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao regional integration strategy from a "southward" integration to a "bidirectional" integration. The study's conclusions clarify the intrinsic relationship between spatial production and regional governance in the context of China, and reveal the essential characteristics of Chinese urban regionalism.