Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, conducted an inspection tour last week of key cooperation zones in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, including the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, and the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone.
During the tour, Xia had in-depth exchanges with several principal officials from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government. Discussions focused on accelerating reform and promoting development in the HKSAR under new circumstances, as well as further strengthening cooperation and integration within the Greater Bay Area. He received briefings from HKSAR officials on the government’s economic and financial strategies for 2025 during a symposium in Qianhai.
Xia’s research and inspection tour aimed to promote the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s speech, delivered on the 25th anniversary of the Macao SAR in December. The tour was also intended to facilitate the implementation of proposed measures for the Greater Bay Area development.
At the Macao SAR’s 25th-anniversary celebration, Xi highlighted an important conclusion: The implementation of “one country, two systems” has entered a new stage. This means that the two SARs must not only promote economic growth but also enhance the quality of growth; they must not only develop themselves but also contribute to national development. Furthermore, Guangdong province, Hong Kong, and Macao should work toward not only “physical connectivity” but also “soft connectivity”, or regulatory alignment.
Xia’s new-year tour underscored the urgency for the two SARs of Hong Kong and Macao to take the initiative and concrete actions in this regard. The tour was intended to show support for and guide the two SARs in implementing the spirit of Xi’s Macao speech and in promoting high-quality development in the SARs.
It is widely recognized that Hengqin, Qianhai, and Hetao play a leading and exemplary role in the construction of the Greater Bay Area. Conceivably, Xia aimed to understand the current state of development in these pilot and cooperation zones through inspection and to bolster the SAR governments’ sense of urgency and responsibility.
With the central government’s clear direction and the pragmatic work and coordination of the central authorities in charge of Hong Kong and Macao affairs, the governments of the two SARs and all sectors of society can hopefully work together to promote the development of the SARs, allowing the practice of “one country, two systems” to bear more fruit
Hong Kong and Guangdong are closely connected economically, and both play a significant role in the Greater Bay Area development. Five years into the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong has yet to fully play its designated leading role, partly because of the three-year COVID-19 pandemic.
It is the norm for mainland provinces and cities to formulate annual socioeconomic strategies for their regions at the beginning of the year. Under the principle of “one country, two systems”, the two SARs adopt a different approach to economic development from that of the mainland, but they should still formulate annual development plans and strategies at the beginning of the year as their mainland counterparts do.
For instance, considering the financial constraints of the HKSAR government, how can more funds be raised to facilitate the development of the Northern Metropolis? Hong Kong should proactively learn from international experiences, plan for the future with strategic vision, and devise effective solutions. Public confidence is crucial, which is why the government should develop comprehensive strategies and plans, providing people with a clear vision.
Xia said he hopes that Hong Kong will maintain its focus on socioeconomic development amid rising geopolitical challenges in a complex international environment. That’s why he paid particular attention to every important link in the development of those pilot zones, including overall planning, product research and development, manufacturing, marketing, transportation, and logistics. He was briefed by the HKSAR’s principal officials who head different departments on a wide range of topics during his inspection tour.
For the Greater Bay Area to succeed, it is necessary for Hengqin, Qianhai, Hetao, Nansha and the Northern Metropolis to fully develop and achieve their designated strategic goals — by making full use of the pilot policies endowed by the central government, pursuing institutional innovation, and boosting technology and innovation.
In this context, Hong Kong should emphasize high-quality development. It should strive to develop strategic emerging industries while promoting the further development and upgrading of its traditional industries. Indeed, the HKSAR government has realized this. In his 2024 Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu introduced various measures to consolidate and enhance the city’s traditional industries. These measures include establishing an international gold trading market, developing a high-value-added supply chain management center, cultivating new industries and momentum, and developing a low-altitude economy. What the HKSAR government and all sectors of society need to do next is to focus on the implementation and continuous improvement of these strategies by going all out and working together.
The central government places great importance on the development of the Hong Kong and Macao SARs. Xia has conducted several inspection tours in the SARs since taking charge of Hong Kong and Macao affairs at the central government level. During his trips, Xia always engages in face-to-face exchanges with local officials and people from various walks of life. He sorts out the opinions and suggestions he collects and reports them to the central authorities, which in turn devise supportive policies and measures to meet the needs of the SARs. From the expansion of the Individual Visit Scheme to the implementation of the “multiple entry” policy for Shenzhen residents visiting Hong Kong and the “one trip per week” policy for Zhuhai residents visiting Macao, these and other policies benefiting Hong Kong and Macao have injected a strong impetus into the development of the two SARs.
With the central government’s clear direction and the pragmatic work and coordination of the central authorities in charge of Hong Kong and Macao affairs, the governments of the two SARs and all sectors of society can hopefully work together to promote the development of the SARs, allowing the practice of “one country, two systems” to bear more fruit.
The author is vice-chairman of the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and chairman of the Hong Kong New Era Development Thinktank.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
