The Macau government’s Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau (DSEPDR) Director Mi Jian said yesterday in Beijing that the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), which was released by the central authorities last week, has endowed Macau with “a historic mission and responsibility in the new era”, according to a statement issued after a press conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing Thursday.
According to the statement, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Vice Chairman Luo Wen, Executive Vice Governor of Guangdong Province Lin Shaochun, and Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung also attended the press conference. The spokeswoman for the State Council Information Office, Xi Yanchun, chaired the press conference.
According to the statement, Mi said that the GBA development plan includes 49 items referring to Macau, which showed Macau’s high importance and functions in the GBA development.
According to the statement, Mi pointed out that the plan lists Macau as one of the four major cities in the GBA region, which marked Macau’s “core engine” status, adding that it revealed the nation’s “high trust in, and expectation for Macau”, based on Macau’s “small land but big role”, Mi said.
According to the statement, Mi stressed that the plan also has endowed Macau with an “honourable mission in the new era”, to build “a multicultural exchange and cooperation base with an emphasis on Chinese culture”, adding that it was clearly an affirmation of Macau’s special historic status and enriched coexistence of multiple cultures.
According to the statement, Mi further pointed out that one of the core goals of the GBA development plan was to drive the construction of the “Guangdong-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macau innovation and technology corridor”, adding that Macau would become a supporting base for the “corridor”.
According to the statement, Mi stressed that the outline development plan has brought “unprecedented” opportunities to Macau, adding that actively participating in the GBA development would help Macau achieve economic diversification and build a firm foundation of long-term prosperity and stability for Macau’s future generations.
Mi said that the mission and active participation in the GBA development was “a social and historic responsibility” that the Macau government must undertake, Mi said.
