Cross-border economic integration in significant move in south China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, December 11, 2003

Cross-border economic integration in significant move in south China

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Eyeing all favorable policies given by the Central Government to Hong Kong and Macao, their neighboring province of Guangdong has moved to seize the unprecedented opportunity by substantiating the long-awaited integration of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), which has emerged as the most potential economic zone in the world.

As three of China's most competitive economies, Guangdong, HongKong and Macao in PRD bear their distinct economic attributes. They believe that an effective integration of PRD would turn the region into the world's most dynamic economic zone in 10 to 20 years, said Huang Huahua, governor of Guangdong, who is on a three-day visit to Macao.

Huang came to attend the Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Joint Conference in Macao with a detailed plan to escalate the cooperation ties with Macao. He held similar high-level talks in Hong Kong earlier this year.

Taken in mind of a larger picture of the PRD economic circle, Guangdong has defined its role as the world's largest production base proximate to the gaming and tourism magnet of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) as well as the finance center of Hong Kong SAR.

To this end, Guangdong reached a consensus with Macao during the meeting to give priorities to the cooperation in service industry by using terms inscribed in the Mainland/Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), the building of the Zhuhai-Macao cross-border industrial park, a joint exploration of the Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, transportation infrastructure construction, tourism and port services cooperation.

The building of the industrial park taking advantages of Zhuhai's cheap labor cost and Macao's trade network and CEPA policies is the first of such an attempt, which will be operated between China's SAR and the mainland.

"Although it is designed to cover only 400,000 square meters on reclaimed seashore, management of the park will provide experiences for Macao and Guangdong to engage in the ensuing join texploration of the Hengqin Islands in Zhuhai, which is adjacent to Macao," said Huang.

The measures taken will put a convergence among the two SARs and Guangdong from slogans into actions by touching upon issues of avoiding duplicated construction and wiping out administrative barriers that lie in different political systems and tariff administrations.

The work will be followed by a series of large-scale infrastructure construction to link up highway, ferry, light rail and bridge networks in Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong to smooth out passenger and logistic flows, thus further sharpen the whole PRD's competitive edge.

Macao's Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah told Huang that the Macao SAR government has always taken in mind of its relationship with Guangdong when drawing its development blueprint. PRD's economic integration will help Macao reinforce its role as the regional trade platform and tourist center, and create considerable job opportunities for Macao citizens.

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