On December 11, the Second Business Conference on Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development opened in Hong Kong, co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR). Chief Executive of the HKSAR John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the MSAR Ho Iat Seng, Vice Chairman of the CCPIT Zhang Shaogang, and Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province Huang Mingzhong addressed the opening ceremony.
In his speech, John Lee said that as one of the core cities in the GBA and with its unique advantages under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong is complementing the strengths of other GBA cities in enhancing the measures that promote mutual connectivity, playing the role of an active participant, facilitator and beneficiary of the GBA’s development. He hoped that all friends from the business community would harness the conference as a platform, gain an in-depth understanding of and exchange ideas on the GBA’s latest developments, seize opportunities for the GBA development, and contribute to China’s efforts to build itself into a stronger country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization.
Ho Iat Seng, in a video address, described the Greater Bay Area as an open and exploratory experiment under the conditions of “one country, two systems,” three customs areas, and three currencies. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to China, and the 3rd anniversary of the establishment of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Standing at a new historical starting point, Macao will focus on its positioning as “One Centre, One Platform, One Base”, better integrate itself into the overall national development, serve the development of the GBA, and strive to enhance Macao’s role and function in the national economic development and opening up.
Zhang Shaogang stated that the establishment of the Business Conference on Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development by the CCPIT, in collaboration with the HKSAR and MSAR governments and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, is a concrete action to implement the Chinese government’s decisions and plans on moving forward with the development of the GBA. It is also a pragmatic measure to boost exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and foreign business communities. The CCPIT will mobilize the trade promotion forces worldwide to strengthen communication with relevant institutions in the GBA, put in place more mechanisms for cooperation in diverse fields, build high-quality platforms, and provide better services, thereby helping businesses around the world achieve better development while leveraging complementary strengths and achieving mutual benefit.
Huang Mingzhong noted that this year marks the fifth anniversary of the release of “the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”. Over the past five years, the construction of the GBA has yielded fruitful results, with an economic output exceeding RMB14 trillion. The region, accounting for less than one percent of China’s total land area and six percent of its total population, has generated one-ninth of the country’s total economic output, making it a powerhouse for high-quality development. Currently, centered around the new positioning of “one pivot, two areas,” Guangdong is pushing further ahead with the GBA development in the new stage and remains steadfast in deepening reform across the board. Guangdong will continue to work with Hong Kong and Macao to build a GBA ideal for people to live, work and travel and share the dividends of a world-class city cluster.
Under the theme “Development of the GBA in China to Provide Opportunities for the World,” the conference features plenary sessions, parallel breakout sessions, GBA city promotion and project matchmaking sessions, as well as study tours. Over 1,000 representatives from government institutions and business communities in more than 20 countries and regions attended the event. They had in-depth discussions on hot topics of concern to Chinese and foreign business communities, including new quality productive forces, connectivity of the financial markets, commercial dispute resolution, and intellectual property rights. The conference also featured a signing ceremony and the release of “the Joint Initiatives on Promotion of Diverse Resolution of Commercial Disputes to Support the High-Quality Development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” and “the Patent Costs and Strategies for Chinese Innovation Entities Going Global”.
