Macao SAR gov't: Plan for building Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin creates new opportunities for Macao

MACAO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government said Sunday that the general plan for building the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin will create new impetus for Macao's development.

Hengqin is located in the southern part of Zhuhai city in Guangdong Province, just across Macao.

The plan, issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council and made public on Sunday, showcases the central government's support for Macao's appropriate economic diversification and is a major initiative to further enrich the practice of "one country, two systems," the Macao SAR government said in a statement.

The cooperation zone provides Macao with a new space and new opportunities to enhance its residents' welfare and livelihood, while ensuring Macao's long-term prosperity and stability and facilitating its further integration into the overall national development, the SAR government said.

With the promulgation of the plan, the development of Hengqin ushers in a new stage marked by mutual discussion, joint construction, joint administration and shared benefits between Guangdong and Macao, the SAR government said.

It added that it will work, under the guidance of the central authorities and in accordance with the plan, to push forward the development of the cooperation zone jointly with the Guangdong provincial government and the Zhuhai municipal government.

The SAR government said it is confident that, under the guiding principle of adhering to "one country" while taking advantage of "two systems," the cooperation zone will be successful in exploring a new system and new demonstration for development, and creating new impetus for the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems" with Macao characteristics.