Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said yesterday that the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee's approval of a decision on authorizing the MSAR to exercise jurisdiction over relevant land and sea areas southeast of the Gongbei border checkpoint in neighboring Zhuhai city is significant to Macau's integration into overall national development.
Ho said in a statement released by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) that the decision, approved by the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC, during its seventh session in Beijing yesterday, will inject strong impetus into Macau's long-term development, and promote its prosperity and stability.Ho expressed his gratitude for the support by the central authorities, pledging to speed up infrastructure construction, better leverage the socioeconomic benefits of Macau's Light Rail Transit (LRT) east line, and strengthen infrastructure connectivity between Macau and the Chinese mainland.
The MSAR government will also actively participate in the formulation of specialized policies and plans in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), step up cooperation with Guangdong and Hong Kong, and expand exchanges on various sectors in the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region.
Thanks to yesterday's approval, the LRT east line will be able to connect two major land border checkpoints between Macau and Zhuhai with the MSAR's densely populated northern district. Construction of the line started in August this year. It is slated by the Macau government to be completed by 2028.
- Xinhua, MPD
