The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, today called for further joint effort to promote the roles of Pearl River Pan-Delta (PPRD) Region in the country’s overall development.

This vision came under a fresh framework of a pilot scheme for innovatory policies for cooperation between the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone planned for the island of Hengqin, while making better use of complementary strengths of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area initiative and the Hainan free-trade port, Mr Ho suggested.

The Chief Executive shared his insights in a speech delivered at the 2020 PPRD Regional Cooperation Chief Executive Joint Conference, which was held this morning in Sanya City, Hainan Province.

This year’s Joint Conference is themed "sharing the opportunities of Hainan free-trade port and promoting joint development of the Pearl River Pan-Delta Region".

In his speech, Mr Ho said planning of the Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin would make reference from Hainan free-trade port in relation to innovatory policies and mechanism, in order to maximise Macao’s strengths arising from the “One country, two systems” principle and as an international free-trade port.

Macao was committed to integrating proactively its development with overall national development, adding that such effort was a key initiative for the Special Administrative Region (SAR) to attain further socio-economic progress and to sustain economic diversification, Mr Ho said.

The Chief Executive went on to say that Macao would spare no effort in its continued contributions into a number of national strategies and initiatives, via its close connection with Portuguese-speaking countries. He also mentioned the ongoing effort to assist PPRD Region to explore opportunities available in Portuguese-speaking countries.

In addition, Mr Ho said the Joint Conference took place in a time when the country making significant progress in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s Joint Conference reaffirmed that regional cooperation had immersive significance in terms of boosting the economy and social development, he added.

Mr Ho also briefed Macao’s epidemic-control and disease-prevention work since the COVID-19 alert and the city’s preparedness over the resumption of the facilitated individual travel scheme for mainland tourists to visit Macao.

Discussions of PPRD leaders at today’s Joint Conference covered three topics, namely: 1) sharing fresh opportunities of the advancing free-trade port and jointly building a platform for system integration and innovation; 2) building together a modern transport network composed of large-scale ports, corridors and centers; and 3) promoting high-quality development for regional cooperation within the PPRD Region.

Participants in the 2020 PPRD Regional Cooperation Chief Executive Joint Conference signed a summary of the minutes relating to the matters discussed following the meeting.

The Joint Conference is a platform launched in 2004 for regional cooperation between the nine provinces and two SARs – collectively known as the “9+2” – located in the PPRD Region, namely: Fujian; Jiangxi; Hunan; Guangdong; Guangxi; Hainan; Sichuan; Guizhou; Yunnan; the Hong Kong SAR; and the Macao SAR.