The Macau Chief Executive said he was convinced that the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macau Bay Area (GBA) will not only be an integrated development zone between China, Hong Kong and Macau, but also a dynamic, competitive zone of international excellence.

Chui Sai On spoke on Saturday after signing with his Hong Kong counterpart Carrie Lam, Guangdong Province Governor Ma Xingrui and the director of the National Development and Reform Commission, He Lifeng, the “Framework Agreement for the Strengthening of Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macau cooperation and promoting the construction of the Great Bay.”

The Great Bay Area includes Macau, Hong Kong and nine cities in Guangdong Province: Guangzhou, Dongguan, Foshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan and Zhuhai.

“In the future, Macau will take the initiative to strengthen communication with the central government, engage in the construction of Macau, increase the integration of the territory in the development of Guangdong and Hong Kong, and actively use the resources of all sides with the aim of boosting the development of this Great Bay Area and at a faster rate,” he said.

Chui Sai On pointed out four priority areas to be developed by Macau in the AGB, highlighting the need for better integration of Macau into China’s development under the “one country, two systems” principle.

The Chief Executive also gave assurances that Macau will continue to strive for the Special Administrative Region to be “One Centre, One Platform,” participating in the “Belt and Road” initiative in order to achieve more dynamic development alongside the construction of the GBA.

Finally, Chui Sai On noted the goal of greater integration in the development of Guangdong and Hong Kong and driving the social and economic sectors so that all resources inside and outside China are harnessed.

On Sunday in Macau, the Chief Executive met with the secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Chunhua and the provincial governor, with whom he discussed how to implement the agreement signed in Hong Kong.

Chui recalled that Guangdong has been a strong anchor for the development of Macau, which is reflected in particular in bilateral cooperation in terms of water supply, electricity and food, which are essential goods for the population.

The Chief Executive also restated that the government is determined to make Macau a world tourism and leisure centre and a service platform for trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. (macauhub)