'Macao + Hengqin' cooperation emerges as a model for 'one country, two systems'

The deep integrated development between the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Guangdong province, and Macao Special Administrative Region has helped further enrich the country's practice of "one country, two systems", according to a statement issued on Friday on the fourth anniversary of the overall plan for the zone in Hengqin.

The zone's "Macao + Hengqin" cooperation and development model is emerging as a new model for enriching the country's practice of "one country, two systems", a new height for advancing the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and a new platform for advancing the country's high-level opening-up to the outside world, authorities said.

Meanwhile, the deep integrated development of the two sides in the zone is increasingly playing a crucial role in promoting moderate and diversified economic development in Macao and expanding the development space of the Chinese special administrative region, said authorities.

Since the overall plan for the zone in Hengqin was introduced four years ago, the mechanism of "joint consultation, construction, management, and sharing" between Guangdong and Macao has operated smoothly in Hengqin, which is located at the mouth of the Pearl River.

With innovation factors accelerating their agglomeration, Hengqin's characteristic industries have grown steadily, and the public service and social security systems have gradually aligned with those of Macao.

According to the zone's statement, more than 7,300 Macao-funded enterprises have been attracted to the cooperation zone, and more than 28,000 Macao residents have lived and worked in Hengqin, demonstrating a deep integrated development of the two sides and a momentum of continuous development.