Macao and Hong Kong will work together more closely, to complement the respective efforts of the two places regarding advancement of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) and regarding other reciprocal cooperation. These actions would be in a bid to enhance people’s well-being.

Consensus on this was reached during the 11th Hong Kong Macao Cooperation High Level Meeting, held in Macao. The co-chairs for the meeting were the Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Mr Leong Vai Tac, and the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR, Mr Paul Chan Mo-po.

Thursday’s meeting also featured in-depth discussions regarding: the Hong Kong-Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Hong Kong-Macao CEPA); the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge; and cooperation on tourism and cultural affairs.

In a speech, Mr Leong proposed that Macao and Hong Kong should join hands in contributing to national strategies and should intensify cooperation in service sectors. He called for greater efforts to resolve the differences in terms of regulatory and legal systems between the three places comprising the Greater Bay Area, in order to create more efficient exchanges within the urban cluster.

Mr Leong also suggested the two sides boost cooperation in youth affairs, financial services, the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry, and tourism.

Mr Chan noted that Thursday’s meeting was the first such gathering held since the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Under the principle of “One country, two systems”, Hong Kong and Macao would jointly take forward the development of the Greater Bay Area to achieve a win-win outcome for the diversified development of industries as well as the economic and social development of both places, Mr Chan added.

Prior to the Hong Kong Macao Cooperation High Level Meeting, the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, Mr Chui Sai On, held a separate meeting with Mr Chan, in order to review the existing collaboration of the two SARs and to discuss future prospects for cooperation.