Macao and Guangdong have agreed to raise the level of co-operation for the facilitation of social and economic development, and for the improvement of people's livelihood. This accord was reached during the annual Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference held today (14 June) in Zhongshan municipality, Guangdong province. The two sides would continue to focus and increase co-operation in different areas including the joint development of Hengqin island and Nansha New Area, liberalisation of trade in services, development of tourism, culture, creative industry, convention and exhibition. The meeting also proposed to speed up co-operation on social affairs and livelihood which were considered to be beneficial to people's well-being on both sides, such as education, popular science, environmental protection, power and water supply, food safety. It also decided to accelerate the construction of a new passenger passageway adjacent to the Border Gate-Gongbei checkpoint and push forward the construction of other cross-border infrastructure projects and the study of regional planning. During the meeting, Macao and Guangdong inked 11 co-operation protocols such as in the areas of new passenger passage, food safety, facilitated travel for yatchs, environmental protection, old age security, anti-smuggling, a spur line of the inter-city rapid light rail extending to Hengqin island, occupational training, contingency plan for the new campus of University of Macau and facilitation of quarantine related to convention and exhibition. The Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, Mr Chui Sai On and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhu Xiaodan, who headed their respective delegations, delivered keynote speeches at the annual meeting. Macao's Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Tam Pak Yuen, and the Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Ms Zhao Yufang, reviewed and concluded the fruitful co-operation between Macao and Guangdong in the past year. Also at the meeting today were Macao's Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lao Si Io, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Zhou Bo, and Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao, Ms Qiu Hong.
