The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) will advance the construction of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin in a pragmatic manner to gradually implement reform and opening-up measures, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said today.
In September, the central authorities issued a general plan for building the cooperation zone in Hengqin, which is part of Zhuhai city in Guangdong province, just adjacent to Macau's Cotai entertainment area, as a major arrangement to enrich the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" in Macau and boost the MSAR's appropriate economic diversification.
The MSAR government will speed up the drafting of major supporting policies, including special measures to relax market access in the cooperation zone, as well as a list of the first batch of authorised items and encouraged industries, Ho told lawmakers in the 2022 Policy Address.
Tremendous efforts should be made to diversify Macau's economy by developing new industries, Ho said, stressing that the local government will work to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), modern finance, and tourism and related industries in the in-depth cooperation zone.
The MSAR government will also actively participate in the setting-up of a legal system in the zone, deepening exchanges and cooperation in legal and judicial matters with Guangdong, and improving its dispute settlement mechanism, Ho added.
- Xinhua, MPD
