Page 136 - 2025 Special Report

Hengqin new area of Zhuhai • Expanding industries such as leisure
vacation, conferences and exhibitions, sports events
Hengqin is an island located at the western tip of and tourism as well as “big health” sectors like leisure
Macau and southern tip of Zhuhai. With an area of and wellness, rehabilitation and medical care.
106km , the Hengqin Guangdong-Macau In-depth
2
Co-operation Zone covers the whole of the Hengqin • Playing to Macau’s role as a window to
island. Geographically, Hengqin falls within the Portuguese-speaking countries and developing
boundaries of Zhuhai, yet the co-operation zone a financial services platform linking up China and
will be managed by the Guangdong province as Portuguese-speaking markets. The Hengqin Plan
specified in the government plan. stipulates that assistance will be rendered to the
co-operation zone in launching cross-border
Amid various headwinds, the GDP of Hengqin RMB settlement business and encouraging and
co-operation zone grew 2.3% YoY in 2023, reaching supporting domestic and foreign investors to use
RMB47.3 billion. Industrial sector saw steady RMB in cross-border venture capital projects and
recovery, with an increase of 28.6% YoY. Though related investment and trade.
the total export and import decreased 27.2% YoY,
the actual utilization of foreign investment soared “30 measures” to strengthen Hengqin’s
71.8% YoY . financial market interconnections with
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Macau 35
On 6 September 2021, the government
announced the Overall Plan for Building Guangdong- In February 2023, the PBOC and four other
Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin . The government authorities issued “Opinions
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plan defines the strategic position of the zone on Financial Support for the Construction of
as a new platform to boost Macau’s appropriate Guangdong-Macau in-depth cooperation zone in
economic diversification, a new space that Hengqin” to support investment in Hengqin. These
provides convenience to Macau residents’ life and focus on five broad areas: building a financial
employment, a new model to enrich the practice environment that provides more convenience
of “one country, two systems”, as well as a new to Macau residents; promoting the connectivity
high ground for building the GBA . of Hengqin and Macau as financial markets;
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facilitating cross-border trade and investment;
Major efforts will be placed on expanding helping Macau develop modern financial
four industries: infrastructure; and strengthening co-operation in
financial supervision.
• Fostering the growth of scientific and high-
end manufacturing sectors like integrated circuits, In September, the government released
electronic components, new materials, new energy, further 86 implementation details on the above
big data, artificial intelligence, internet of things Opinion which guide the financial institutions
and biomedicine. in the cooperation zone to strengthen business
cooperation with Portuguese speaking countries,
• Developing trade in traditional Chinese increase support from the banking and insurance
medicine (TCM) services and a platform for industries for the export industry and serve
innovative TCM research and transformation Macau well to strengthen financial connectivity
with self-owned intellectual property rights and with Portuguese speaking countries.
Chinese characteristics.
Hetao area in Shenzhen
32 https://www.hengqin.gov.cn/stats/tjsj/jjyxqk/con-
tent/post_3627144.html Located on the border between Shenzhen
33 The State Council, http://www.gov.cn/ and Hong Kong, the Hetao Cooperation Zone,
zhengce/2021-09/05/content_5635547.htm
34 The expansion plan for building Guangdong-Macau 35 Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in
in-depth cooperation zone, http://www.chinadaily.com. Hengqin, http://www.hengqin.gov.cn/macao_zh_hans/
cn/a/202109/05/WS6134a902a310efa1bd66d691.html zwgk/zcfg/zyzc/content/post_3578300.html

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