HKSAR gov't to seize opportunities brought by development of Greater Bay Area

HONG KONG, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Thursday that it will seize the new opportunities brought about by the two plans unveiled by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) that aim to boost cooperation and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

China's NDRC, the country's top economic planner, on Thursday unveiled a development plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone (Qianhai overall development plan) and another for the Guangdong-Macao indepth cooperation zone in Hengqin (Hengqin overall development plan).

The Qianhai overall development plan provides a comprehensive view of the strategic positioning, development objectives, spatial layout, industry planning, business environment, urban planning, quality living environment, and governance model of the Qianhai cooperation zone, among other things. Its objective is to promote the demonstrative and leading roles Qianhai plays in the development of the GBA, further deepening the collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

John Lee, chief executive of the HKSAR, said that the Qianhai overall development plan sets a clear direction for Qianhai's development and opening up. The HKSAR government is grateful for the central government for the various policy initiatives outlined in the plan, which are not just of benefit to Hong Kong but will also contribute to the development of the GBA and the country. These initiatives will remarkably expand the scope of development for Hong Kong talents and enterprises.

"As two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong and Macao have all along been upholding the principle of 'one country' while leveraging the benefits of 'two systems'. Under the principle of complementarity, both cities embrace the role as the core cities of the GBA and core engines for regional development," Lee said.

Hong Kong will grasp the unlimited opportunities brought about by coordinated regional development, so as to make contribution to the high-quality development of Hong Kong and the entire GBA, Lee added.