Longteng Bay District, Vientiane is newly opened. During this year's Spring Festival holiday, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is booming, with Macao and Hong Kong residents entering the mainland and visiting relatives frequently, and a steady stream of high-quality edible agricultural products from the mainland reaching the tables of Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, and the integration of the Greater Bay Area is moving towards depth.
Be bold, try boldly, and open up a new path. Five years ago, on February 18, the "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" (hereinafter referred to as the "Outline") was officially announced, marking the full implementation of the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Over the past five years, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, as an important platform for the Greater Bay Area, has accelerated the development of a demonstration of in-depth cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, significantly enhanced the potential and vitality of the "four new" industries, and enriched the sense of gain for the residents of Hengqin and Macao, contributing to the construction of a world-class bay area and a world-class city cluster.
Separated from Macao by one water and one bridge, the Co-operation Zone has fully unleashed the vitality of cultural tourism, with the passenger flow at the port continuing to be high, the cultural tourism "menu" becoming more and more abundant, and more Macao residents entering the Co-operation Zone to enjoy the Spring Festival. With the In-depth Cooperation Zone as an important fulcrum, a high-quality living circle full of "Macao flavor" is taking shape at an accelerated pace.
Dancing as a leader in development, the In-depth Cooperation Zone will accelerate the creation of an important power source leading high-quality development. At present, the Co-operation Zone is speeding up the implementation of the island-wide customs closure operation, and the system and mechanism of joint consultation, joint construction, joint management and sharing between Guangdong and Macao are operating smoothly. At the same time, it will strive to nurture more elements of Macao, and by 2024, there will be 8,000 Macao-funded enterprises in the Co-operation Zone, 5,000 Macao residents employed and 20,000 Macao residents residing in the Co-operation Zone, so as to serve the development of Macao with heart and soul.
Breaking the wall of rules: changing "the difference of the system" to "the benefit of the system".
During the Spring Festival, the Hengqin Port was very lively, and the convenient customs clearance mode of the port also left a deep impression on Hong Kong and Macao residents. Many passengers said that they felt "very comfortable, smooth and 'silky'" after passing through the Hengqin port.
With the Hengqin Port as the "test site", the In-depth Cooperation Zone will accelerate the innovation of customs clearance mode, create a "one-hour living circle", and promote the construction of the world's most attractive first-class bay area. With the in-depth promotion of the "soft connectivity" of the rules and mechanisms between Hengqin and Macao, the "difference of systems" is becoming "the benefits of systems".
At present, Hengqin Port is piloting the implementation of the "Frequent Traveller" scheme, which provides "frequent traveller" customs clearance facilitation arrangements for eligible entry and exit personnel such as business and official personnel who frequently travel between Hengqin and Macao, as well as employees of Macao universities. The "joint one-stop" inspection channel for passengers and trucks in the second phase of the Hengqin Port Project has been put into trial operation, and the inspection units of the five ports in Guangdong and Macao have jointly operated in the same bayonet channel for the first time, and the inspection between Hengqin and Macao can be completed in an average of 2 minutes, greatly improving the efficiency of customs clearance.
Next, after the official implementation of the customs closure operation of the in-depth cooperation zone, the customs and other departments will also implement the convenient customs clearance mode of "cooperative inspection and one-time release" passenger health quarantine. In the future, Macao residents who study, work, start businesses and live in the Co-operation Zone and bring relevant animal and plant products into the Co-operation Zone will be entitled to facilitation customs clearance services in accordance with relevant national regulations.
According to reports, facing the future, more intelligent vehicle body inspection systems at Hengqin Port will be gradually put into use to further create a customs clearance environment with "highly convenient entry and exit of personnel".
Entering 2024, the Co-operation Zone will complete all aspects of customs closure and operation with high quality, realize the "first-line" liberalization of goods and the "second-line" control of goods with high standards, promote the entry and exit of personnel to a high degree of convenience, promote the efficient and convenient cross-border flow of factors with the convergence of rules and mechanisms, and accelerate the construction of a new system of high-level integration and opening-up with Macao.
Industrial agglomeration: to create a first-class business environment for development.
As an important pole in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and an important platform for promoting the moderate diversification of Macao's economy, in recent years, the In-depth Cooperation Zone has taken the lead in exploring ways to enhance endogenous development momentum, gather international high-end resources, and promote the business environment of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to a higher level.
Recently, the 3rd Hengqin International Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition successfully completed all competitions, attracting nearly 1,400 entries from 17 countries and regions around the world, and the total number of entries and the number of Macao track projects reached a new high. In the competition, a number of outstanding science and technology projects stood out, further enriching the science and technology projects and talent pool of the in-depth cooperation zone, and also enhancing the driving force of scientific and technological innovation in the in-depth cooperation zone.
Today, the development of science and technology research and development and high-end manufacturing industries in the In-depth Cooperation Zone is accelerating. By the end of 2023, there will be 30 national and provincial science and technology innovation platforms, 282 national high-tech enterprises, and 41 national and provincial "specialized, special and new" enterprises.
At the same time, according to the Outline, the financial markets of the three places will accelerate the interconnection of each other, attracting many Hong Kong and Macao financial institutions to set up plans in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. On December 12, 2023, Tai Fung Bank of Macau opened its sub-branch in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, becoming the first Macao-funded bank to be established in the In-depth Cooperation Zone after the release of the "30 Financial Measures in Hengqin". More Australian-funded banks are planning to land in the Co-operation Zone, grasp the pulse of the development of the Co-operation Zone, make full use of the "Hengqin 30 Financial Measures" policy to promote financial innovation, explore joining the e-fence system of funds in the Co-operation Zone to carry out cross-border business, and actively provide diversified financial services for enterprises and residents of the two places, so as to stimulate the development of the financial industry.
Zooming in on the focus, not only in the financial sector, but also in all walks of life, the confidence in taking root in the development of the in-depth cooperation zone is increasing.
According to the data, by the end of 2023, there were 16,385 enterprises in the "four new" industries in the in-depth cooperation zone, a year-on-year increase of 102%；The added value of the "four new" industries was 2180.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 24%。
Bravely stand at the forefront of the tide and innovate boldly. The Co-operation Zone is making every effort to accelerate the integration of Hengqin and Macao, strive to build a new growth pole full of vitality and vitality, accelerate the construction of a regional development demonstration with Chinese characteristics and demonstrate the advantages of "one country, two systems", and support Macao's better integration into the overall development of the country.
Building a Dream in the Greater Bay Area: The integration of people's livelihood in Hengqin and Macao has delivered excellent results.
Leisurely everything, people's livelihood is great. Deepening co-operation between the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, supporting Hong Kong and Macao's integration into the overall development of the country, and enhancing the well-being of Hong Kong and Macao compatriots are the blueprints drawn up by the Outline for the development and construction of the Greater Bay Area.
As one of the poles of the Greater Bay Area, Macao and Hengqin have made every effort to promote the in-depth integration of people's livelihood in Hengqin and Macao in recent years, and establish an integrated development pattern. Li Weinong, director of the Executive Committee of the In-depth Cooperation Zone, said.
Backed by the small Hengqin Mountain and facing the Tianmu River, the attraction of Hengqin's "new homeland" is gradually released. With the "Macao New Neighbourhood" as a pilot project, the Co-operation Zone will take the lead in connecting with Macao's standard social and public services, promote the establishment of schools for Macao children, support the operation of health stations in accordance with the model of Macao health centres, and allow access to TDM and overseas telecommunications, so as to create a living environment that is similar to that of Macao.
At the end of November 2023, the "Macao New Neighbourhood" project was officially accepted for subscription, which has aroused wide repercussions in the Macao society. As of the end of last year, more than 1,000 people had subscribed to the units of the "Macao New Neighbourhood" project, and the first batch of owners had received the real estate authorization letter and the key of the unit at the beginning of this year.
Improving people's livelihood and well-being has always been the starting point and end point of the development of the Greater Bay Area. With this goal in mind, the Co-operation Zone is speeding up the improvement of people's livelihood facilities, opening the Government Affairs Service Centre of the Co-operation Zone, setting up a one-window social security service between Guangdong and Macao (Hengqin Special Window), and extending Macao's services to the Co-operation Zone, so as to realize the "cross-border service" of Macao's government services, and the residents of Hengqin and Macao will have a more obvious sense of livability and workability.
The "Outline" clearly points out that the construction of a rapid transportation network in the Greater Bay Area, strengthening the transportation links between Hong Kong, Macao and the mainland, and promoting the effective docking of various modes of transportation such as urban rail transit. In recent years, the In-depth Cooperation Zone has continued to promote the construction of intercity railways, and the Zhuhai-Zhuhai Intercity Railway has been successfully opened to traffic, allowing Hengqin to smoothly integrate into the national highway and railway network, and reserve a rail connection with Macao, which will quickly connect Macao and Zhuhai urban areas, and contribute to the realization of the "Greater Bay Area on the track".
In order to provide convenient commuting services for employees of office enterprises and Macao residents on the island, the Co-operation Zone has made bold innovations and launched the "Tongqin" Macao-Hengqin cross-border commuter line. Up to now, the "Tongqin" has 16 cross-border commuter lines with 46 departures, with a total of 53 stations, covering Taipa, the Macao Peninsula, the Hengqin Campus of UM, the City University of Macau, and the Macau University of Science and Technology.
The in-depth co-operation zone, which has a similar cultural origin, close proximity and complementary advantages, has attracted a number of Macao residents to live, work and start businesses across the border. By the end of 2023, the number of Macao residents working and living in the In-depth Cooperation Zone had increased to 10,970, the number of Macao students studying had increased to 266, and the number of Hong Kong and Macao professionals practicing cross-border in the fields of doctors, construction and tourism had increased to 1,315.
After five years of exploration, the Co-operation Zone has continued to make efforts in line with its strategic positioning and development plan, and has made every effort to accelerate the integration of Hengqin and Macao. Now, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is about to open a new chapter of development with the characteristics of Chinese-style modernization, and the In-depth Cooperation Zone will strive to build a new growth pole full of vitality and vitality, accelerate the construction of a regional development demonstration with Chinese characteristics and highlight the advantages of "one country, two systems", support Macao to better integrate into the overall development of the country, and deliver excellent results in Hengqin.