The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, attends in Beijing the first plenary meeting of the leading group for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as the group's member.
The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) is to make maximum use of the city’s distinctive strengths – in coordination with the Central Government – regarding the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, made the comments today while in Beijing for the first plenary meeting of the leading group for the development of the Greater Bay Area. He is one of its members.
The leading group convened its first meeting in the afternoon, at the Great Hall of the People. The leading group is chaired by Vice Premier Mr Han Zheng. The two vice chairmen are the Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, Mr Li Xi; and the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, Mr He Lifeng.
During his speech at the meeting, Mr Chui stressed the Greater Bay Area initiative would provide Macao with unprecedented development prospects, particularly in terms of promoting the city’s economic diversification and the continued optimisation of local people’s livelihoods.
The SAR Government would foster communication with other members of the leading group – including those representing departments and ministries of the Central Government, the Guangdong government and the Hong Kong government – in order to advance cooperation between and among the cities in the Greater Bay Area.
Effective cooperation among all the places within the Greater Bay Area would provide an auspicious environment in which Macao could celebrate next year the 20th anniversary of the SAR; and would consolidate the foundations of the city’s further and long-term prosperity.
Additionally the SAR Government would update the city’s Five-Year Development Plan in line with the development plan of the Greater Bay Area. The SAR Government also planned to introduce a greater number of innovatory policies and pilot schemes, in order to accommodate the development needs of the Greater Bay Area.
Today’s meeting reviewed documents concerning the promotion of closer exchanges between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao; and support for the development of a global technology and innovation hub in the Greater Bay Area. Members of the leading group also shared views on how to press ahead with the next phase of work for the Greater Bay Area.
The Central Government would launch, in the near future, more measures supporting integration between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. They included:
- the National Development and Reform Commission strengthening its coordination effort regarding creation of a global technology and innovation hub in the Greater Bay Area. The Central Government has shown support to develop Macao as a platform of traditional Chinese medicine with modern technology;
- sharply reducing roaming charges for telecommunication services between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Authorities from the mainland would lead the cooperation effort between telecommunication networks serving the three places; and
- drafting by the appropriate public departments on the mainland of a protocol enabling Hong Kong and Macao residents respectively to enjoy on the mainland greater numbers of services associated with employment and entrepreneurship there. In addition, the State Council had announced previously the wavier of work permit requirement for residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
The Greater Bay Area initiative, put forward by President Xi Jinping, demonstrated the Central Government’s interest in, and anticipation of, closer cooperation between Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Mr Chui said at Wednesday’s meeting in Beijing.
Mr Chui also expressed his gratitude to the Central Government for its support and guidance regarding Macao’s participation in the advancement of the Greater Bay Area.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a city cluster formed by nine cities in Guangdong Province – namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing – plus the Hong Kong SAR, and the Macao SAR.
