Governmental delegations headed by Chief Executive Chui Sai On and the Governor of Guangdong Province Ma Xingrui at the Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference

Intensified Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao Brings New Opportunities

Macao and Guangdong are closely connected geographically and culturally and have been maintaining close ties for a long time. Ever since the Framework Agreement on Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao was signed, both regions constantly enhanced the standard and level of co-operation. Statistics showed that, in 2016, the import and export trade volume of Guangdong and Macao reached USD 2.06 billion, while there were 589 Macao’s direct investment projects in Guangdong, involving USD 3.21 billion contract value of foreign investment with USD 640 million of actual value, as well as the approved establishment of 12 Guangdong enterprises in Macao.

In addition to strengthening collaboration in respect of economy, society, livelihood and culture, Guangdong and Macao jointly participated in the contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative and the planning of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Along with the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the new road between Guangdong-Macao and other infrastructures, the traffic convenience will further boost the regional economic co-operation and bring a greater number of opportunities to Guangdong and Macao.

The Signing Ceremony of the Framework Agreement between the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Jiangmen Municipal People’s Government regarding Intensified Co-operation on Green Economy in the Guangdong-Macao (Jiangmen) Co-operation Demonstration Zone, the Co-operation Agreement between Guangdong and Macao regarding the Energy-efficiency and Environmental Protection Sector, the 2017-2018 Co-operation Agreement between Guangdong and Macao on the Protection of Intellectual Property, and the Memorandum of Co-operation regarding Fostering Construction and Development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao

The Signing Ceremony of the Framework Agreement between the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government regarding Jointly Building the National Biomedical Science and Technology Innovation Area, the Agreement regarding Jointly Organising the Guangdong-Macao Summer Internship Scheme, the Agreement regarding Guangdong-Macao Food Safety Work Exchange and Co-operation, and the Co-operation Agreement between the Bureau of Statistics of Guangdong Province and the Statistics and Census Service of the Macao Special Administrative Region

Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference in Guangzhou

The Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference was held in Guangzhou on 10th January. The Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Chui Sai On and the Governor of Guangdong Province Ma Xingrui headed delegation of the respective government to attend the conference held in the afternoon and also delivered keynote speeches. The Secretary for Economy and Finance Leong Vai Tac and the Executive Vice Governor of Guangdong Province Lin Shaochun reviewed last year’s achievements of Guangdong-Macao co-operation and work progress.

Based on the review of both sides, the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which explicitly indicated the support for integrating Hong Kong and Macao into the national development momentum, had shown a clear direction for the co-operation between Guangdong and Macao. In 2017, Guangdong and Macao reached consensus on collaboratively contributing to the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and subsumed the work under the “Major Tasks in 2017 for Implementing the Framework Agreement on Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao”. In July 2017, the National Development and Reform Commission and the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao signed the Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Co-operation in the Development of the Bay Area, and worked for closer ties between Guangdong and Macao through the development of the Greater Bay Area.

Since then, the joint effort of Guangdong and Macao was put to implement the major tasks of the Framework Agreement on Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao, promote the liberalisation of trade in services between Guangdong and Macao, and actively contribute to the development of China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone in order to provide more opportunities for Macao young people to start up innovative businesses. Also, both regions boosted the complementary benefits for the two places by adding impetus to the development of platforms with Hengqin, Nansha, Zhongshan and Jiangmen, while reinforcing the collaboration in the social and livelihood issues to enhance people’s quality of life and social harmony in both places.

Looking back to the robust development of Guangdong and Macao, and ahead to the coming year.Both sides agreed that major national efforts – such as the Belt and Road Initiative; measures outlined in the national 13th Five-Year Plan; and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – have added innovation and vitality to the drive to expand Guangdong-Macao relations, and that both regions should grasp the opportunities derived from the country’s development.

In the coming year, Guangdong and Macao have pledged to press ahead with further co-operation via:
1) Taking a major role jointly in the planning and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, including setting up a specialised task force group to advance the seven major tasks outlined in the development framework for the Greater Bay Area;

2) Jointly exploring how to make further contribution in 2018 to the Belt and Road Initiative, based on experience of the two places’ efforts in 2017;

3) Fostering exchanges between young people from Guangdong and Macao, and offering greater policy support for innovation and employment designed to help integrate the role of young people in the nation’s development;

4) Supporting greater Macao involvement in the development of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and advancing trade liberalisation between Guangdong and Macao;

5) Strengthening development of Guangdong-Macao co-operation platforms, such as Hengqin New Area; and enhancing Macao’s ties with Guangzhou, Zhongshan and Jiangmen;

6) Reinforcing Guangdong-Macao co-operation with respect to livelihood issues, including optimisation of facilities at checkpoints and other cross-boundary infrastructure; as well as deepening tourism and cultural links, and promoting co-operation relating to professional and technical issues and motivating collaboration in social and livelihood issues; and

7) Optimising regulatory systems and the respective roles of think tanks from the two places.
Several agreements were signed between Guangdong and Macao after the conference, namely the Framework Agreement between the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government regarding Jointly Building the National Biomedical Science and Technology Innovation Area; Framework Agreement between the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Jiangmen Municipal People’s Government regarding Intensified Co-operation on Green Economy in the Guangdong-Macao (Jiangmen) Co-operation Demonstration Zone; Agreement regarding Jointly Organising the Guangdong-Macao Summer Internship Scheme; Agreement regarding Guangdong-Macao Food Safety Work Exchange and Co-operation; Co-operation Agreement between the Bureau of Statistics of Guangdong Province and the Statistics and Census Service of the Macao Special Administrative Region; Co-operation Agreement between Guangdong and Macao regarding the Energy-efficiency and Environmental Protection Sector; 2017-2018 Co-operation Agreement between Guangdong and Macao on the Protection of Intellectual Property; and the Memorandum of Co-operation regarding Fostering Construction and Development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao.

The Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference held in Guangzhou