Favorable impressions were reported by a delegation of journalists from around the country who explored Zhuhai's expressways April 18 for sci-tech innovation, industrial development, livelihood improvements, and cooperation with Macao.

For instance, Chi Xirui of Shenzhen TV described Zhuhai as way beyond a livable city with a superior ecology and beautiful environment and expressed amazement at the progress in science and technology, transport, and medical treatment.

What Chi said impressed her most is the Hengqin Advanced Intelligent Computing Center developed by the New Area Administrative Committee and Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The center possesses domestically leading computing power of up to 1.16 exa-operations per second (Eops) and serves hundreds of Zhuhai and Macao sci-tech enterprises, universities, and R&D institutions.

Southern Metropolis Daily reporter Yin Jialin voiced surprise at dramatic changes in Hengqin New Area compared with her visit five years ago. Yin spoke highly of the entrepreneurship environment, support policies, and platforms for exchange and cooperation at Macao-Hengqin Youth Entrepreneurship Valley (Inno Valley HQ).

Press delegation interviews HZMB Authority staff [Photo by Li Jianshu / Zhuhai Daily]

Hengqin is currently home to more than 4,000 Macao-funded enterprises, which are entitled to one-stop business registration, cross-border office areas, shuttle buses, and medical insurance. More livelihood convenience can be seen with the opening of the new Hengqin Checkpoint and increased exit-entry quota of Macao single-plate vehicles. The General Union of Neighborhood Associations of Macao has opened a comprehensive service center in Hengqin, while Macao New Neighborhood is being constructed to offer Macao people the livelihood facilities and public services they are accustomed to.

The first 53 Macao doctors recently settled at the Hengqin Branch of Zhuhai People's Hospital. Dr Zhang Qianjun said in an interview with the journalists that this can not only enhance exchange with the Chinese mainland doctors but also bring Macao medical services to Hengqin.

Luo Junlin of Guangdong Radio & Television Station hailed the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) as a benchmark in boosting connective infrastructure, rules, standards, and mechanisms between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

She observed that HZMB Zhuhai Port has one-stop self-service inspection to streamline customs clearance. Zhuhai and Macao frontier inspectors have taken the lead in the country in implementing a "Joint Inspection & One-time Release" mode to have documents examined. Time required for passenger customs clearance is down to 20 seconds.

The delegation was also informed that:

Becoming a transport hub on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, Zhuhai will begin building the Zhuhai-Zhaoqing and Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) high-speed railways, and Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway this year. Construction of Zhuhai Airport Urban Rail Transit Phase II will be urged ahead, as will preliminary work on Shenzhen-Zhuhai Intercity Railway and Zhuhai subways.

The main line of the Xianghai Bridge, north section of Xingye Express Road (west line), and first phase of the Hezhou-Gaolan Port Expressway will open to traffic this year. Construction at the Zhuhai Bridge and Lingjiaozui tunnels will move ahead, while that of the Jingang Bridge and North Airport Express Road will commence.

The Zhuhai expedition formed part of "Along China's Expressways (Guangdong)" – a themed interview event that records Guangdong's development and changes along eight classic highways through reports, broadcasts, and video logs as an ode to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.