SCIO press conference on the development of Hengqin and Qianhai
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 15, 2021
Chen Wenjun:
Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to the press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Recently, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council issued a general plan for building the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and a plan for comprehensively deepening the reform and opening up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone. Today, we are holding this press conference to expound on these two plans, introduce the development of Hengqin and Qianhai, and answer your questions. Today's press conference will be held via video link with the main venue in Beijing and three sub-venues in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao SAR. Please forgive us if there's signal delay.
Next, I will introduce to you the speakers. Here in Beijing, we have Mr. Cong Liang, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and deputy director of the Office of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA); Mr. Xu Hongcai, vice minister of finance; Mr. Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBC) and administrator of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE); and Mr. Zou Zhiwu, vice minister of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). In Guangdong, we have Mr. Lin Keqing, member of the standing committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of the People's Government of Guangdong Province; and Mr. Qin Weizhong, deputy secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government. In Hong Kong, we have Mr. John Lee Ka-chiu, chief secretary for administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government; and in Macao, we have Mr. Cheong Weng Chon, secretary for administration and justice of the Macao SAR Government.
Next, I will give the floor to Mr. Cong.
Cong Liang:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends, good afternoon. Thank you for your attention and support to the GBA, especially Hengqin, Qianhai and other major cooperation platforms in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to friends from all walks of life who care about and support the construction of the GBA.
General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the construction of major cooperation platforms in the GBA, and has personally promoted the establishment of the Hengqin and Qianhai cooperation zones. He has visited Hengqin four times and Qianhai three times, and delivered a series of important speeches and instructions, which pointed out the direction for the construction and development of the cooperation zones. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized on many occasions that the original goal of establishing the Hengqin new area was to create conditions for the diversified development of Macao's economy; and that Qianhai needs to rely on Hong Kong, serve the mainland, and open up to the world, further promote Guangdong-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation, and promote Hong Kong to better integrate into the development of the country to create a new pacesetter for reform and opening up.
In line with the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have worked with Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and relevant departments to formulate a general plan for building the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and a plan for comprehensively deepening the reform and opening up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone. General Secretary Xi Jinping personally presided over the meetings to review and approve the plans for Hengqin and Qianhai. These two plans were released to the public a couple of days ago. The Hengqin plan focuses on the original goal of promoting the moderately diversified economic development of Macao. With a goal-oriented and problem-oriented approach, the plan aims to serve Macao and promote the integrated development of Hengqin and Macao. Generally speaking, it covers the following aspects: one theme, four major positions, three-phase goals, four major tasks and several supportive measures.
The "one theme" refers to promoting the moderately diversified economic development of Macao. This is the starting point and foundation of our work in Hengqin.
The "four major positions" refer to serving as a new platform to boost Macao's appropriate economic diversification, a new space that provides convenience for Macao residents' daily lives and employment, a new model to enrich the practice of "one country, two systems," as well as a new high ground for building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The "three-phase goals" are related to 2024 and 2029, the beginning of two new terms of the Macao SAR government, and 2035, an important year for China's modernization. We have set development goals for these three years in terms of institutional mechanisms, industrial development and public services.
The "four major tasks" comprise of developing new industries that promote a moderately diversified economy in Macao, creating new space that facilitates the life and work of Macao's residents, building a new integrated system with Macao featuring a high level of opening up, and improving a new system of joint consultation, management and sharing between Guangdong and Macao.
The "several supportive measures" refer to enhancing the Party leadership and Party building in an all-round manner in the cooperation zones, enhancing legal guarantees, increasing the delegation of power, establishing and improving the risk management mechanism, and strengthening organization and implementation.
The Qianhai plan focuses on the two key points of "zone expansion" and "reform and opening up," and includes tasks in three areas.
The first is to expand the development space of the Qianhai cooperation zone. According to the plan, the total area of the zone will be expanded from 14.92 square kilometers to 120.56 square kilometers, and relevant supportive policies will cover the whole area following procedures, providing greater space for cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
The second is to build an experimental platform for deepening reform and innovation in an all-round manner. According to the plan, major reform tasks will be piloted, and several tasks have been put forward including promoting the innovative development of the modern service industry, accelerating the reform and innovation of scientific and technological development mechanisms, creating a world-class business environment, and innovating the governance model of cooperation zones.
Third, a gateway and hub featuring high-level opening up will be built. The plan specifies that a higher-level open economy will be established and improved. The plan also puts forward effective measures for enhancing service trade liberalization with Hong Kong and Macao, promoting greater opening up of the financial sector, improving the openness of legal affairs, and improving high-level participation in global cooperation, among other measures.
Looking forward, we will act in accordance with the decisions and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, work with relevant parties to carefully organize the implementation efforts, and ensure good communication, coordination and services, so that all tasks of the two plans can be carried out. Thank you.
Chen Wenjun:
Thank you, Mr. Cong. Next, I'll give the floor to Mr. Lin Keqing.
Lin Keqing:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, the official release of the plans for the two cooperation zones marks a new stage of comprehensive construction and development in Hengqin and Qianhai. We have felt the great support for Guangdong and the high expectations for GBA from General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee. We feel highly motivated and encouraged.
The construction of the two cooperation zones has offered historic opportunities to Guangdong's reform and growth in the new development stage. The move is a strategic means for Guangdong to serve the "one country, two systems" policy, a strategic platform for Guangdong to further deepen reforms comprehensively, and a strategic support for Guangdong to serve the new development paradigm.
The CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Guangdong Province have taken on this major responsibility and historic mission, comprehensively and precisely grasped the strategic intention of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, and have been working step by step with Hong Kong and Macao to turn the blueprints of two cooperation zones into reality. First, we have made intensified efforts to study, publicize, and implement the two plans. The Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee has met to communicate the two plans, a meeting of mobilization has been held on the provincial level, and the entire provincial Party committee has also met on the same matter. Second, we have made all-out efforts to improve relevant coordination mechanisms. Two leading groups for the construction of the two cooperation zones have been established, headed by Li Xi, secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee. Ma Xingrui, governor of Guangdong province, serves as the first deputy head of the groups. Third, we are creating a system of policies, plans and laws for the construction of the two zones. We have formulated policy documents and advanced the formulation of a new round of overall plans for the two cooperation zones, drafted regulations for the Hengqin Cooperation Zone, and revised regulations for the Qianhai Cooperation Zone. Fourth, we have spared no efforts to facilitate the implementation of major tasks, programs, and industrial projects. Focusing on Hengqin's design function of promoting an appropriate level of economic diversity in Macao and Qianhai's role of serving the development of the mainland and opening up to the world based on its adjacency to Hong Kong, we have been working to implement all the tasks, programs and industrial projects concerning the two cooperation zones. Thank you.
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