The construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a major national strategy personally planned, deployed and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping. General Secretary Xi Jinping has issued important instructions on many occasions to guide and guide the development of the Greater Bay Area. In April 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during his inspection in Guangdong that "the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will become a strategic fulcrum for the new development pattern, a demonstration site for high-quality development, and a leading place for Chinese-style modernization." In order to promote the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Construction points the way forward.
The construction of the Greater Bay Area has achieved significant results
In recent years, all relevant parties have deeply studied and implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches and important instructions, and achieved remarkable results in promoting the construction of the Greater Bay Area.
First, the construction of the Greater Bay Area International Science and Technology Innovation Center is steadily advancing, and technology-led industries have taken new steps in high-quality development. The layout of scientific and technological forces has been continuously improved. Pengcheng Laboratory and Guangzhou Laboratory are running smoothly, the Greater Bay Area Quantum Science Center has been established, more than 50 national (national) key laboratories have been built, and 10 Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao joint laboratories have been built. Collaborative innovation continues to deepen. Central and Guangdong provincial financial scientific research funds are used in Hong Kong and Macao. 25 key projects of the national key research and development plan and more than 130,000 large scientific research instruments and equipment are opened to Hong Kong and Macao. Five institutions including the University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital have been approved. The “Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou Innovation Cluster”, a pilot unit for the transit of human genetic resources through Hong Kong, has ranked second in the Global Innovation Index for four consecutive years. Strategic emerging industries continue to grow. The National Nano Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Innovation Center and the National Biomanufacturing Industry Innovation Center were approved, and the International Trading Center for Electronic Components and Integrated Circuits was unveiled.
Second, the connectivity of facilities and the connection of rules have been continuously deepened, and the level of market integration in the Greater Bay Area has been further improved. The connectivity of transportation infrastructure has been continuously strengthened, the Guangzhou-Shantou High-speed Railway has been put into operation, and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor has been fully connected. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was put into trial operation for tourism, the three runways of Hong Kong Airport were officially opened, and the world's first cross-border sea-air transport project "Dongguan-Hong Kong International Airport Center" with direct access to the airside of the airport was put into operation. The fourth phase of the Nansha Port Area of Guangzhou Port was put into use, and port customs clearance reforms such as the "Greater Bay Area Combined Port" and "Bay Area One Port" were carried out in depth, with a total of 57 routes opened. The cross-border flow of factors has become more efficient and convenient, the "cross-border lock" between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao has been fully implemented, and Guangdong and Macao port information has been interconnected. The traffic volume of "Hong Kong Cars Going North" and "Macao Cars Going North" exceeded 1 million, and Zhuhai and Hong Kong Airport cooperated in the "Fly via Zhuhai-Hong Kong" project. More than 60,000 individual investors have participated in the "Cross-border Wealth Management Connect". Hong Kong and Macao residents have opened more than 370,000 mainland accounts through agent witnesses, and the cross-border RMB settlement amount has exceeded 30 trillion yuan. "Bond Connect" was launched online and "Swap Connect" was implemented. The convergence of rules is further advanced. The "Bay Area Connect" project has been implemented in an orderly manner, and blockages in investment, trade, market access and other aspects have been further opened up. The Greater Bay Area Standard Information Public Service Platform and the "Bay Area Standard" logo have been officially launched. Mutual recognition of professional qualifications has been further advanced, and more than 3,200 professionals from Hong Kong and Macao are practicing in the mainland of the Greater Bay Area. Hengqin and Macao have piloted "cross-border services and two registrations in one place" for commercial registration, and Guangdong and Hong Kong have achieved "cross-border services" for 108 high-frequency government services.
Third, cooperation in the field of people's livelihood has become closer, and the construction of a high-quality living area that is suitable for living, working and traveling has been accelerated. It is more convenient for Hong Kong and Macao residents to come to the mainland to study and work in the Greater Bay Area. There are more than 80,000 Hong Kong and Macao students studying in primary and secondary schools in Guangdong Province, and 48 institutions support Hong Kong students in pursuing undergraduate studies. 87 innovation and entrepreneurship bases for Hong Kong and Macao youths have been established, and more than 4,800 Hong Kong and Macao projects have been incubated. The high-quality living environment continues to be optimized, and the number of designated institutions for the "Hong Kong and Macao Drug and Device Communication" has increased to 19, with a total of 27 urgently needed imported drugs and 21 medical devices approved for clinical use. Hong Kong service providers have opened or operated 7 elderly care service institutions in Guangdong, and nearly 350,000 Hong Kong and Macao residents have participated in insurance in Guangdong. Peking Union Medical College Hospital Macau Medical Center has been put into trial operation. The construction of the "Beautiful Bay Area" has been advanced in depth, the ecological and environmental protection cooperation and exchange mechanism in the Greater Bay Area has been continuously improved, and the World Meteorological Center (Beijing) Greater Bay Area Center has been officially opened.
Fourth, the construction of Shenzhen's pilot demonstration zone has achieved positive results, and the construction of major cooperation platforms has been accelerated. The construction of the Shenzhen Pilot Demonstration Zone has been fully launched, the first batch of 40 authorized matters in the comprehensive reform pilot have been fully implemented, and the first batch of 18 typical experiences and innovative measures in the construction of a rule of law demonstration city have been launched. The Greater Bay Area Judicial Research Center of the Supreme People's Court was unveiled, and a one-stop multi-dispute resolution center for foreign-related, Hong Kong and Macao commercial affairs was established. Cooperation between Guangdong and Macao in Hengqin has deepened. Policy documents such as the catalog of encouraged industries and "line management" have been issued. The Hengqin line of the Macao light rail extension has been fully connected. The China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Technical Exchange and Cooperation Center has been established. New neighborhoods in Macao have been launched for sale. Qianhai's reform and opening up has deepened comprehensively, and the country's first investor protection regulations have been introduced. Shenzhen and Hong Kong jointly issued "18 regulations" to support the joint development of venture capital and venture capital, and "16 regulations" to create a highland for intellectual property innovation. The country's first "dual license" overseas company has been launched. Bank Dah Sing Bank Shenzhen Branch. The development and construction of Nansha is advancing in an orderly manner. Lithium carbonate futures and options are listed on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange. Nansha's "Going Global" comprehensive service base for Chinese enterprises is unveiled. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) recruits its first undergraduate students. Shenzhen-Hong Kong science and technology innovation cooperation in the Loop has gained momentum. The State Council issued the "Shenzhen Park Development Plan for the Loop Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone", the Shenzhen branch of the Hong Kong Science Park was completed and opened, and the "Science Huitong" pilot project for cross-border fund transfer by scientific research institutions was launched.
Promote the construction of the Greater Bay Area in depth
Standing at a new historical starting point, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area urgently needs to be further advanced. A few days ago, the Central Leading Group for Regional Coordinated Development reviewed and approved the "Overall Development Plan for the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone", the "Overall Development Plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone" and "About Supporting the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone in Relaxing the Market" "Opinions on Special Access Measures" and "Three-Year Action Plan for the Construction of a World-Class Business Environment in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" have made further arrangements for the construction of the Greater Bay Area. In accordance with the deployment and arrangements of the leading group, we will further give full play to the overall coordination function of the leading group office, work with Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and relevant departments to pay close attention to the implementation and refinement of policies and measures, and accelerate the implementation of key tasks.
First, use major cooperation platforms as carriers to promote in-depth development of cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. We will refine policies and measures to support the development and construction of Hengqin, accelerate the introduction of industrial resources, and ensure that the first phase of 2024 is completed as scheduled. Improve the working mechanism of appropriate separation and superposition of advantages between the Qianhai Economic Zone and the administrative region, and continuously optimize the governance model of statutory institutions. Accelerate the construction of Nansha's pilot start-up zone and promote Nansha's pilot projects in areas such as business environment construction and factor market reform. We will implement the Loop Shenzhen Park planning and strengthen the coordinated development and utilization of “one district and two parks”. Support the coordinated development of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Port Economic Belt and the northern Hong Kong metropolitan area.
The second is to accelerate the construction of an international science and technology innovation center as a guide to promote the coordinated development of science and technology innovation and industry. Accelerate the construction of a comprehensive national science center in the Greater Bay Area, deepen the innovation of scientific and technological systems and mechanisms, and bring together the advantages of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to strive for breakthroughs in key core technologies in key areas. Taking the construction of the "Digital Bay Area" as the starting point, we will promote the digital upgrading of industries and accelerate the development of digital trade. Deeply implement the industrial Internet innovation and development strategy and actively promote the interactive docking of scientific and technological innovation and advanced manufacturing systems in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
The third is to focus on the connectivity of facilities and the connection of rules to further enhance the level of market integration. Accelerate the construction of the "Greater Bay Area on Track" and enhance the overall competitiveness of the port group and airport group. Optimize port functions and layout, and implement "cooperative inspection, one-time release" and "two inspections in one place" at more ports. Improve the use efficiency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and give full play to the effectiveness of the policies of "Hong Kong cars going north" and "Macau cars going north". We will further expand pilot projects such as facilitation of foreign exchange receipts and payments for trade and integrated local and foreign currency capital pool businesses, and deepen financial interconnection initiatives such as "Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect", "Bond Connect" and "Wealth Management Connect". We will further promote the construction of Shenzhen's pioneer demonstration zone and continue to explore experience and provide demonstrations in Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation and technological innovation.
The fourth is to focus on facilitating the development of Hong Kong and Macao residents in the mainland and continue to create a high-quality living area that is suitable for living, working and traveling. Implement policies and measures in education, medical care, elderly care, employment and other fields to facilitate Hong Kong and Macao residents working and living in the mainland of the Greater Bay Area. Innovate the cooperative education model of higher education and coordinate the promotion of cooperative education projects in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Support Hong Kong and Macao in implementing youth employment and internship programs, expand the scope of mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and encourage professionals from Hong Kong and Macao to practice in the mainland of the Greater Bay Area. In-depth implementation of measures such as "Hong Kong and Macao Pharmaceutical and Device Access" and "Bay Area Social Security Access" will promote the integrated development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the field of people's livelihood. (People's Daily)