The Macau government intends to explore new hubs to sustain economic growth and promote the development of emerging maritime industries, which will give the territory and the “One Centre, One Platform,” concept a new dynamic, said the Chief Executive.
Chui Sai On, who spoke at the opening of the International Conference on Management, Use and Development of Macau’s Maritime Areas on Friday, recalled that China’s central government in 2015 granted Macau the management of 85 square kilometres of maritime area, which for historical reasons had not happened for hundreds of years.
For the Chief Executive, the fact that the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) has this maritime area under its jurisdiction “will create new conditions and opportunities for Macau to develop projects related to the sea and to profit and thrive from them.”
“In the context of the planning and construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay and following the entry into operation of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the possession of 85 square kilometres of sea area is one of the essential conditions for Macau’s participation in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay, as it will open a new space for the appropriate and diversified development of Macau’s economy,” he said.
“Managing, making use of and effectively developing the maritime waters of Macau is not only a goal for the development of Macau, but also an important part of the strategy of building China up as a maritime power,” said Chui Sai On.
More than 200 individuals and experts from Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau took part in the meeting, with extensive experience in the use and development of maritime areas.
At the end of the meeting, the deputy head of the MSAR Working Group for the Medium and Long-Term Planning of the Use and Development of Maritime Areas and Coordinator of the Policy Study Office, Mi Jian, said that the new 85 square kilometres known as the “fourth space” will be developed in three phases until 2036.
Mi Jian said that the short-term goal of maritime planning, in three to five years, aims at solving crucial problems related to people’s lives, including traffic, environmental protection, and prevention and disaster reduction.
“The medium-term goal of planning, within 5 to 10 years, is to develop the ‘fourth space’ so that Macao society and future generations can have new spaces for development. And in the long run, within 10 to 20 years, through integration into national strategies,” he said.
