Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said in Beijing Monday that the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) had provided fresh impetus for Guangdong-Macau ties, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS).
Chui said he believed that Guangdong-Macau cooperation had a bright future, due to the concerted effort by both sides in the pursuit of the GBA goals set by the central government.
Chui made the upbeat remarks during a meeting in Beijing with the secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Li Xi, the top official of the neighbouring province.
A total of nine Guangdong cities and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau make up the GBA conurbation.
In the meeting on the sidelines of this month’s annual sessions of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and National People’s Congress (NPC), Chui and Li discussed major areas of cooperation in order to forge ahead with goals outlined in the GBA blueprint, which was announced by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council last month.
Transforming collectively the 11 GBA cities into a word-class conurbation is a key goal set out in the GBA plan.
During the meeting, Chui briefed Li about his government’s effort in achieving the various GBA goals.
Macau has been strengthening its effort in preparing policies and measures to advance science, technology and innovation as well as infrastructure connectivity within the area, Chui noted.
The GBA covers an area of 56,000 square kilometres, or nearly two thirds of the area of Portugal. It has a population of 70 million, four million more than the UK.
Chui stressed that the Macau government has worked hard to provide greater convenience to Macau residents working and living in other GBA cities.
The chief executive added that the local government was determined to provide more opportunities for Macau people and businesses to take part in the GBA development drive.
Addressing yesterday’s meeting, Li said the GBA initiative, put forward by President Xi Jinping, was a significant opportunity for the 11 cities involved, namely in terms of enhancing their economic development and strengthening the well-being of their people.
He added that the Guangdong government was looking forward to working closely with the Macau government in getting the next phase of the GBA development plan off the ground.
Chui’s entourage present at the meeting included Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau Director Mi Jian, GCS Director Victor Chan Chi Ping, Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office Director Lei Ut Mui and the director of the Representative Office of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) in Beijing, Leong Kit Chi.
Senior Guangdong officials who attended the meeting included Governor Ma Xingrui and Executive Vice Governor Lin Shaochun.
Chui will attend the opening ceremony of the second session of the 13th NPC in Beijing today.(Macaunews)
