Guangdong and Macau will continue to boost their joint efforts to realise national strategies, while stepping up pragmatic cooperation for promoting people’s well-being, the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) said in a statement yesterday.
The latest Guangdong-Macau Cooperation Joint Conference was held yesterday via video link. Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng and Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui co-chaired the meeting.
The theme of yesterday’s conference was Hengqin as a pivot for intensifying Guangdong-Macau cooperation and supporting Macau’s economic diversification.
The Macau delegation took part in the online meeting from the premises of the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Nam Van.
According to the statement, Guangdong and Macau gave a review on bilateral ties, pointing out that their cooperation projects have been effective, with progress made in a number of sectors.
The conference confirmed four major areas for the next phase of cooperation.
The first will be a focus on the Guangdong-Macau Intensive Cooperation Zone planned for Hengqin and other major cooperation zones, stepping up legislation- and policy-coordination while accelerating the launch of specific projects.
The second direction for bilateral cooperation is to foster cooperation in a number of industries, in order to support Macau’s economic diversification, such as in the fields of science and research, high-end manufacturing, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) up-to-date financial services, the high- and new-technology sectors, culture and tourism; and the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry.
The third focus for Guangdong-Macau cooperation, according to the statement, is to intensify connections between Guangdong and Macau, seeking to provide further convenience for Macau residents living and working in Guangdong.
The fourth direction outlined during the conference is to strengthen cooperation in terms of speeding up economic development and optimising people’s livelihoods. In particular, the two sides vowed to devote further efforts in epidemic control and prevention, support Macau’s young people to work or start a business in Guangdong, and enhance exchanges and collaboration in the areas of education, food safety, and ecological protection.
In his speech at the conference, Ho underlined that Guangdong and Macau have maintained close ties amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to strengthen the two sides’ epidemic-control and prevention efforts, and to create conditions enabling normal movement of people between Guangdong and Macau.
Guangzhou and Shenzhen each recorded one COVID-19 case on Monday, indicating the outbreak in Guangdong is close to a controllable level, with zero local infections, Ho noted. The health authorities and immigration services from Macau and Guangdong have been holding videoconferences to report the latest developments concerning the epidemic conditions, and to discuss any updates on cross-border measures, in order to prevent the epidemic from spreading further, Ho added.
Ho thanked Guangdong for always supporting Macau’s economic and social development, ensuring a stable supply to Macau of energy supplies and resources, live produce and daily necessities.
Ho also said that 2021 marks the first year of the country’s 14th Five-year Plan, as well as a significant period for Macau to integrate further into national development. Based on achievements consolidated from past cooperation, Guangdong and Macau will devote further effort in high-quality development in line with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiative, thereby advancing development for Hengqin, facilitating Macau’s economic diversification drive, and enhancing coordinated efforts in tackling the epidemic, while boosting post-pandemic economic recovery, Ho said.
Ma said during the meeting that Guangdong and Macau will work closely in order to seize major opportunities presented by the GBA development. Guangdong and Macau will also pragmatically advance cooperation regarding Hengqin’s development, the TCM Science and Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation between Guangdong and Macau, the Hengqin Macau Youth Business Valley, and the ‘Macau New Neighbourhood, Hengqin’ project.
During the conference, Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong and Guangdong Vice Governor Zhang Xin each gave a briefing on the latest progress of the projects initiated in the past year.
6 accords inked
During yesterday’s conference, Guangdong and Macau signed a total of six agreements concerning exchanges and cooperation on food safety issues; standards of quality and recognition regarding inspection work; accounting standards for Macau enterprises set up in Guangdong; cooperation in tourism; cooperation in holding job fairs and internships for university students in the GBA; and TCM cooperation.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U and Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office Hoi Lai Fong also took part in the conference, the statement noted.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng delivers a speech at yesterday’s virtual Guangdong-Macau Cooperation Joint Conference 2021. Photo: GCS
