President Xi Jinping yesterday praised the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin for its role in bolstering Macau ‘s economic diversification, and urged further efforts to improve connectivity and facilitate market integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks during an inspection of the cooperation zone as part of his three-day visit to the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
Xi arrived in Macau on Wednesday for the celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland, the inauguration of the sixth-term government of the MSAR, and an inspection tour of the region.
Hengqin, located at the southern tip of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province, is separated from Macau by a narrow stretch of water. Established in 2021, the cooperation zone serves as a vital platform for promoting Macau’s appropriate economic diversification.
During his visit, Xi toured an exhibition highlighting the achievements of the cooperation zone’s development, and commended its progress in recent years.
“Practice has proven that the central authorities’ decision to develop Hengqin and establish the cooperation zone is completely correct,” Xi said.
He was briefed on the joint initiative of Guangdong and Macau to build a high-level scientific and technological platform for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The president praised the integration of advanced multidisciplinary technologies and the zone’s support for the global advancement of TCM.
Xi also met with Macau residents living in Hengqin and young entrepreneurs from Macau who have started businesses in the zone. He emphasized that the development of Hengqin provides vast opportunities for Macau’s youth to achieve their ambitions, and expressed hope that more young people from Macau will build remarkable careers there.
Speaking with individuals involved in the zone’s planning, construction, management and services, Xi lauded them as pioneers of and contributors to Hengqin’s development.
Xi stressed the importance of concrete measures and tangible outcomes in promoting Macau ‘s appropriate economic diversification, improving residents’ livelihoods and boosting employment.
He called for new institutional achievements in leveraging the advantages of the “One Country, Two Systems” framework and aligning the rules and mechanisms of the two sides.
Additionally, he stressed the pioneering role of deeper integration of Hengqin and Macau in facilitating market integration in the GBA.
Xi urged improvements in connectivity to accelerate the creation of a highly coordinated economic system and a deeply aligned regulatory framework between Hengqin and Macau and elevate their integration to a higher level.
Efforts should focus on enhancing public services and social security systems to foster a high-quality living environment that facilitates living, working and entrepreneurship for Macau residents, Xi said.
He also emphasized the need to fully utilize the central government’s support policies to foster a world-class business environment.
Senior officials including Cai Qi attended the event. – Xinhua
President Xi Jinping (center, front), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission talks with Macau residents living in Hengqin during an inspection of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, yesterday. Xi, accompanied by Ho Iat Seng, the outgoing chief executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR), inspected the cooperation zone yesterday. – Xinhua
