Ho Iat Seng, the newly sworn chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), led a delegation to Zhuhai on Dec 24 to seek mutually beneficial cooperation in light of the booming Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Zhuhai Party Secretary Guo Yonghang congratulated Ho on becoming the fifth-term chief executive of Macao and expressed gratitude for Macao's long-standing support of Zhuhai's socioeconomic expansion and Hengqin New Area's growth and opening-up.

Guo said that Zhuhai pledges full support in bolstering Macao as a world-class tourism and leisure center, commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and base for global cultural exchanges and cooperation.

To promote in-depth cooperation, Zhuhai will further improve Hengqin's functional positioning, development planning, and industrial layout; build up a system and mechanism of co-construction, co-management, and sharing; accelerate the connection and integration with Macao's rules and mechanisms; and open up sufficient space for the SAR's diversified industrial development.

New Hengqin Checkpoint [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

In addition, Guo said the city will advance industrial synergic development, livelihood cooperation, and infrastructure connectivity with Macao to create a high-quality living circle in the Greater Bay Area.

Ho noted that close ties between Zhuhai and Macao have produced fruitful results in many fields. The two areas, he added, should ramp up cooperation in industrial development, people-to-people exchanges, and livelihood.

Construction of the Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Industrial Park and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Science & Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation Between Guangdong & Macao should also be pushed forward, said Ho.

That afternoon, Ho visited Wanzai Checkpoint, Macao New Neighborhood, TCM Science & Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation Between Guangdong & Macao, and new Hengqin Checkpoint, and was briefed on their status and planning.

He spoke highly of the efforts of Gongbei Customs, Zhuhai General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection, Hengqin New Area, and relevant Zhuhai authorities in advancing infrastructure and checkpoint opening-up.  

Macao Secretary for Administration & Justice Cheong Weng Chon, Secretary for Economy & Finance Lei Wai Nong, Secretary for Social Affairs & Culture Ao Ieong U, Secretary for Transport & Public Works Raimundo do Rosário, Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service Leong Man Cheong, and Director General of the Macao Customs Vong Man Chong were in the delegation.

The event was also attended by Zhuhai Mayor Yao Yisheng; Liao Jingshan, director general of Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province; and other senior officials and executives of Zhuhai.