Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng offered four pieces of advice regarding the development of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, during the first meeting of the Cooperation Zone’s administrative committee, held Friday in Guangzhou.
The meeting was co-hosted by the two directors of the administrative committee – Ho Iat Seng and Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui. Ho said that the Macao government will work closely with the Guangdong government, acting in line with the central government’s planning, in order to advance the zone’s development.
Ho also indicated that these efforts will be conducive to turning the zone into a new paradigm to demonstrate the advantages of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle with Chinese characteristics.
Ho offered four pieces of advice during the meeting:
1) The need to further boost economic development with special emphasis on the healthcare industry with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as the starting point, as well as modern finance; high and new technology, and also cultural tourism, conventions and exhibitions, sports, and commerce and trade.
2) The need to further efforts to attract talents to the zone, especially highly-skilled professionals;
3) The need to deepen cooperation on social affairs and livelihood issues, by setting up a greater number of quality services in education, healthcare and community service in the zone;
4) The need to speed up development regarding the zone’s legal system. The basis of this will be the nation’s Constitution and the Macao Basic Law, with the aim of establishing a regulatory system for civil and commercial matters aligned with that of Macao as well as international criteria.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive also called to the zone officials for mutual discussion, joint construction, joint administration, and shared benefits, in a bid to realise the goals outlined in the General Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
In his speech the Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui said that work relating to the zone’s development was progressing, as required under the overall guidelines for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
He called for optimising the zone’s management systems, stepping up efforts to attract large-scale enterprises and major projects to set up bases in the zone, strengthening communication and coordination mechanisms externally and internally, and speeding up the implementation of major and innovative policies benefitting the zone.
Ma concluded that these initiatives aim to promote the zone’s development and Macao’s adequate economic diversification effort, while furthering the city’s integration into the nation’s overall development, reported The Macau Post Daily.
