Hengqin, or the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone, as it is formally known, will become an autonomous customs zone at the stroke of midnight, according to multiple local media outlets.
The move is part of official efforts to strengthen ties between Macao and Hengqin – a district of the neighbouring mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai – by easing the flow of people and goods between the two areas.
Starting from 1 March, Hengqin will be divided into two zones for customs purposes, with the first consisting of the boundary between Hengqin and Macao, and the second covering Hengqin and the Chinese mainland.
The first will be mostly tax-free and follow less restrictive custom rules, easing access to Hengqin for Macao residents who are intending to study, work, live and do business there.
[See more: Rules on moving pets between Macao and Hengqin are about to change]
The second zone will see the transport of goods between Hengqin and the rest of mainland China being subjected to more stringent customs regulations, as well as tariffs and import taxes.
Meanwhile, people passing through the first zone will be subject to immigration controls, but those crossing the second zone will not face such restrictions.
Ties between Macao and Hengqin have intensified dramatically in recent times, with over 11,000 Macao residents currently living in Hengqin.
A number of projects are also underway to further bring the two territories closer together, including the Macau New Neighbourhood housing development in Hengqin, a so-called “science city,” and a proposal to issue visitors to Macao with multiple entry visas that will allow them to sightsee in the SAR while staying in Hengqin hotels.
