Source: Economic Daily
The system and mechanism of joint consultation, co-construction, co-management and sharing between Guangdong and Macao have been operating smoothly, the "four new" industries have cultivated new momentum for high-quality development, and the closure of customs has opened a new chapter of integrated development, with more and more Macao residents coming to the Co-operation Zone to live and work in peace and contentment...... The integration process of Hengqin and Macao in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has reached a new level, with remarkable achievements in economic and social construction, and the new homeland has shown strong momentum for integration.
The original heart is like a rock, carry forward the past and forge ahead into the future. Hengqin has transformed from a border island with banana forests and green fields and few farms into a hot island of development and a frontier of opening up, creating conditions for the diversified development of Macao's industries. As of the end of last year, there were 5,952 Macao-invested enterprises in the Co-operation Zone, up 11.8 percent year-on-year, and 11,500 Macao residents working and residing in the Co-operation Zone, up more than 70 percent year-on-year, of which 5,290 Macao residents were employed in the Co-operation Zone, nearly three times year-on-year.
The operation of the customs closure is stable and smooth
On 1 March, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin officially implemented the operation of the sub-line management and customs closure. In the operation and command center of the smart port public service platform in the cooperation zone, the large screen monitors the operation of the "second line" channel in real time - between the take-off and landing of the gate, passenger and truck leave the area in an orderly manner.
"The smooth implementation of the sub-line management and customs closure operation is a key measure to implement the original mission of promoting the moderate diversification of Macao's economy, and to achieve the development goals of the first phase of the overall plan for the construction of the Co-operation Zone in 2024, as well as a major exploration for the implementation of high-level institutional opening-up in the Co-operation Zone. Mao Yanhua, dean of the Institute of Regional Openness and Cooperation of Sun Yat-sen University and professor of the Hong Kong-Macao Pearl River Delta Research Center of Sun Yat-sen University, said. Focusing on a number of bridges, tunnels and rail transit projects, including the Shizimen Tunnel and Hengqin Tunnel, which were completed and opened to traffic last year, and the Zhuhai-Zhuhai Intercity Railway, which achieved the completion of the first and second phases of operation in February this year, the cooperation zone has laid out a number of "second-line" channel customs operation sites.
All avenues lead to Hengqin. In addition to the existing "second-line" corridor, the cooperation zone with an area of about 106 square kilometers, there are also a number of infrastructure "hard connection" projects such as the Qizhou Tunnel and the Macao Light Rail Extension Hengqin Line.
The "Overall Development Plan for the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin" issued in December last year proposes to optimize the overall development pattern, continue the historical context of a strip of water, connect Macao to the east and connect to Hong Kong through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, link the west bank of the Pearl River through the Jinhai Bridge to the west, and connect the core spaces around Macao such as Hengqin Port, the University of Macau, Hengqin Ferry Terminal, and the Financial Island. Mao Yanhua believes that the hard connectivity represented by bridges, tunnels and rail transit is the foundation of integrated development, but in the process of promoting the integration of Hengqin and Macao, the key to deepening connectivity is the soft connection of rules and mechanisms, and the connection between people's hearts.
The interconnection between the Co-operation Zone and Macao's financial markets and financial infrastructure is advancing in depth. The "Opinions on Financial Support for the Development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin" was promulgated last year to promote the implementation of a number of policies such as people's livelihood finance, cross-border trade, investment and financing in the Cooperation Zone. "From encouraging mainland enterprises to issue bonds in Macao, promoting the pilot projects of qualified foreign limited partners and qualified domestic limited partners, to the release of 'electronic fences' and 'construction drawings', it is necessary to coordinate and work together with multiple parties across borders and departments, focus on solving difficult and blocking problems, and form a joint effort to make good use of policies. Mao Yanhua said.
Four new industries are gathered into a chain
In February this year, 17 key projects covering the research and development of innovative drugs and devices, high-end medical and health care services, testing and trading of Chinese herbal medicines, and training of Chinese medicine talents were signed and settled in the Guangdong-Macao Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park. As the first project to be implemented under the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between Guangdong and Macao, the GMTCM Park is the main innovation carrier of the TCM industry focused on building in the Cooperation Zone, attracting more than 200 pharmaceutical companies to settle in, and GPC is one of them.
"In the field of traditional Chinese medicine, 'Made in Macao' is an internationally recognized golden signboard. We have also taken the express train of high-quality development of the industrial park. Zhu Zhenyu, general manager of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical (Zhuhai Hengqin) Pharmaceutical Import and Export Co., Ltd., said that since the establishment of the cooperation zone for more than 4 years, the company has accumulated sales revenue of more than 1 billion yuan, becoming a leading enterprise in the field of pharmaceutical supply chain circulation in the in-depth cooperation zone.
"The policy supply advantage of the cooperation zone is obvious. Goods entering the Co-operation Zone from the 'second tier' can apply for export tax rebates, which can help enterprises repatriate funds more quickly, and goods processed in the Co-operation Zone with a value-added of 30% or more can be exempted from import duties when entering the mainland through the 'second tier'. Zhu Zhenyu revealed that Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group is evaluating the cost operation advantages brought by the policy, and many supplier companies in the field of big health are also planning to settle in the cooperation zone, and believes that the tax policy empowerment will further help the cooperation zone gather high-quality industrial resources.
Core Trend (Zhuhai) Technology Co., Ltd. is an innovative enterprise mainly engaged in chip design. Li Shilei, the company's director of communications and public affairs, said that the "Catalogue of Encouraged Industries in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin" released last year refines the categories and key directions of the "four new" industries, and integrated circuit design is also among them. Li Shilei said: "The series of policies are very targeted and effective, which has brought unprecedented opportunities for the company to attract talents and introduce investment. Especially in the supporting policies of customs closure operation, the import of self-used machinery and equipment by enterprises is exempted from import duties, import value-added tax and consumption tax, which greatly saves the cost of using imported high-precision instruments and equipment in our research and development. Statistics show that the development of the integrated circuit industry in the cooperation zone will accelerate and become a momentum, and the revenue of integrated circuit enterprises above designated size will be nearly 2.9 billion yuan in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%.
Under the model of "one convention and exhibition, two places", the Macao enterprise Nam Kwong International Convention & Exhibition Co., Ltd. has held two consecutive sessions of the China (Macao) International High-quality Consumer Expo in Hengqin and Macao. Zhu Yun, chairman of the company, is optimistic about the development prospects of the convention and exhibition industry in Hengqin and Macao. "First, the new bonded exemption policy will facilitate more cross-border exhibitions of Macao exhibits, which will help reduce the cost of organizing exhibitions, and second, the company will plan to hold more exhibitions in the fields of scientific and technological research and development and high-end manufacturing industries in accordance with the policy guidelines, so as to enhance industry exchanges and promote the development of physical industries through exhibitions. Zhu Yun said.
The cooperation zone has accurately implemented the "characteristic industry traction project", and the development momentum of the "four new" industries has become stronger. According to statistics, as of the end of last year, there were 16,385 enterprises in the "four new" industries in the cooperation zone, a year-on-year increase of 10.2 percent, and 1,520 new enterprises in the "four new" industries were registered last year, a year-on-year increase of 14.5 percent. Last year, the added value of the "four new" industries in the cooperation zone was 21.808 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.4%. The industrial development system with Hengqin and Macao characteristics is taking shape at an accelerated pace.
Rooted in Hengqin, convenient life
Macau resident Yu Chaobin chose to settle on Hengqin's financial island five years ago, and because he works in Macau, he needs to travel back and forth to Hengqin and Macao three or four times a week through the Hengqin port. Since March this year, the customs department has set up a "new homeland" convenient channel at Hengqin port, and implemented the "one-time inspection" mode for exit and security inspection. "Baggage only needs to go through security once, so you don't have to go through it again. Yu Chaobin said, "Through the small program to declare in advance, you can also bring fruits and cooked food from Macao into Hengqin." ”
At Hengqin Port, the 30 joint one-stop inspection lanes for passenger and trucks that implement the innovative inspection mode of "cooperative inspection and one-time release" have all been activated, and entry and exit vehicles only need to queue up once to pass. Not long ago, the Co-operation Zone issued the "Administrative Measures for the Entry and Exit of Macao Motor Vehicles in and out of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Draft for Comments)", and Yu Chaobin immediately submitted a proposal for Macao single-plate vehicles to go north through Hengqin, "The life in Hengqin is becoming more and more convenient, and it is a veritable 'new home' for Macao people".
Compared with Yu Chaobin, Cheng Shao Shi, a young man from Macau, has gone one step further and moved the focus of his work and life to his new home. Last year, she was recruited through the post system to work in the executive committee of the cooperation zone, and submitted an application to buy a house in the Macau New Neighborhood project, which is just across the street. "A few Macau friends and I decided to buy a house in the new neighbourhood for our own use. Zheng Shaoshi is very looking forward to the new home in Hengqin that will be moved into in May this year, "Rooted in Hengqin, there is our new stage, new space and new hope." (Economic Daily reporter Yu Jian)