Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Editor's Note:

As China enters the annual national "two sessions" time, the country is turning its focus toward the strategic blueprint of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Within this vision, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is expected to play a greater role as a strategic pivot point of China's new development pattern, a demonstration zone for high-quality development and a leading area for Chinese modernization.

Against this backdrop, the Global Times launches a commentary series, "GBA: New Voyage." The series includes insights from National People's Congress (NPC) deputies and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee members from the SARs as well as international professionals in Hong Kong and Macao. This is the second installment.


The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development clearly state that China will foster and expand emerging and future industries, accelerate sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels, and give greater prominence to new quality productive forces. As a crucial node in the national strategic development, the synergy of Macao and Hengqin in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, adheres to the original aspiration of "promoting the appropriate economic diversification of Macao." It fully leverages the institutional strengths under the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" and Hengqin's policy and space advantages to realize industrial transformation and upgrading. Furthermore, it undertakes the strategic layout of emerging industries within the country's overall development and aims to find its precise role and demonstrate its capabilities in Chinese modernization.

Since the issuance of the general plan for building a Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin in 2021, the integration of Macao and Hengqin has moved from blueprint planning to an accelerated construction phase. The unique and substantial policy dividends of Macao and Hengqin have effectively reduced costs and boosted efficiency for enterprises in terms of business environment, tax burdens and industrial support.

2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The construction of Macao and Hengqin is advancing in depth, entering a critical window period for further transformation and high-quality leapfrog development. This year, Hengqin and Macao will implement a package of policy measures for further promoting the construction of the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, and solidly advance a number of key projects, such as the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town.

Based on the strategic layout of the Hengqin-Macao integration development, I believe there are three major opportunities embedded in it. First, Hengqin serves as a forefront for cultivating new quality productive forces. The four emerging industries positioned in Hengqin focus on traditional Chinese medicine, construction of digital infrastructure, culture and tourism, and modern finance. Large-scale tech innovation carriers like Hengqin Science City and the Macao-Hengqin Innovation Industrial Park are being developed to attract national key laboratories, top-tier research institutions and R&D centers of high-tech enterprises. 

Second is the opportunity for cross-border e-commerce industry upgrading. Driven by leading internet companies and supported by policy advantages in cross-border e-commerce, taxation and multi-functional free trade accounts, Hengqin and Macao are expected to gather a number of leading cross-border e-commerce enterprises. This will incubate and cultivate enterprises with global vision, technological innovation and digital empowerment, promoting Hengqin's development into an international digital trade hub.

Third is the opportunity to build a high-level platform for opening-up to the outside world. As the global industrial and supply chains undergo deep restructuring, Macao's advantage as a precise bridge between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries has become increasingly prominent. Hengqin provides strong support for industrial docking, policy implementation and spatial carrying capacity. With the steady progress in the construction of the Centre for Science and Technology Exchange and Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries and the CECP, Macao's international competitiveness and radiating capacity will be continuously enhanced, making it a "golden channel" for economic and trade exchanges between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries and serving the overall situation of national high-quality development and opening-up to the outside world.

As a Macao SAR deputy to the National People's Congress, I will continue to promote the full extension of Macao's institutional strengths to Hengqin, facilitate the flow of elements such as talent, capital, technology and information and accelerate the construction of a collaborative development model for the four emerging industries under the "Macao + Hengqin" framework. This will form a sound development pattern where Hengqin and Macao complement each other's advantages and work together, contributing Macao's strength to the country's high-quality development.

The author is a deputy of the 14th National People's Congress and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Macao SAR. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn