The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today in Beijing met with the Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Ms Sun Meijun, to exchange views on advancing the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, as well as continuing support for Macao’s appropriate economic diversification.
Mr Sam expressed gratitude for the consistent support – in terms of policy facilitation for the development of Macao and the Cooperation Zone – shown by the General Administration of Customs. He noted that close collaboration between the General Administration of Customs and the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government had been working together to bolster cooperation within the Greater Bay Area and the high-quality development of the Cooperation Zone.
Meanwhile, the General Administration of Customs’ active support over the MSAR Government in implementing President Xi Jinping’s important speeches, strengthening Macao’s connecting roles domestically and internationally, and helping Macao to give better play of its unique roles in serving national high-quality opening-up initiatives.
During the first-phase development of the Cooperation Zone, the General Administration of Customs had provided substantial support in areas such as “tier-specific management” special customs arrangements and customs clearance facilitation, said Mr Sam. This had fostered highly coordinated development between the Cooperation Zone and the MSAR, deepened regulatory alignment, enhanced the efficient flow of goods, and facilitated greater cross-boundary movement of personnel.
As this year marks a critical juncture for advancing the second-phase development of the Cooperation Zone, it was hoped that the General Administration of Customs would – building upon the existing strong collaborative foundation – continue to engage in in-depth planning with the MSAR Government, systematically promote and implement various development initiatives for the Cooperation Zone, and jointly foster new prospects for Hengqin’s development.
Mr Sam additionally said the MSAR Government was currently planning four major key infrastructure projects, including an international air transport hub (port) on the west bank of the Pearl River, and a technology research industrial park, alongside development relating to a growth pole for innovation development in the western part of the Greater Bay Area.
To support these initiatives, Mr Sam emphasised the need to accelerate the modernisation of customs infrastructure and further enhance clearance facilitation measures. He expressed hope that the General Administration of Customs would continue to provide guidance and support to Macao in strengthening its connectivity, deepening regional cooperation, and better integrating into national development strategies – thereby injecting greater momentum into Macao’s appropriate economic diversification.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Tai Kin Ip; the Director General of the Macao Customs Service, Mr Adriano Marques Ho; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Chan Kak; and the Director of Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau, Mr Cheong Chok Man.
Other officials of the General Administration of Customs present at the meeting were: the Director of the Department of Comprehensive Affairs, Mr Lin Shaobin; the Director of the Department of Free Trade and Special Zones Development, Mr Pan Cheng; the Director of the Department of Health Quarantine, Mr Zhu Zhaoyin; and the Director of the Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine, Mr Wang Yiyu.
The Chief Executive is on a five-day visit to the capital. After attending the commemorative activities to mark the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Mr Sam has remained in Beijing for meetings at ministries and with committees of the Central Government, to discuss sustained support for Macao’s economic diversification effort and high-quality development.
