CE welcomes promulgation of Outline Development Plan for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
18.2.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (February 18) welcomes the Central Government's promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Outline Development Plan), which sets out the directions guiding the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area). She expresses gratitude to the Central Government for placing importance on the views of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government in the course of formulating the Outline Development Plan. A Government spokesman said, "The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a national strategy personally devised, personally planned and personally driven by President Xi Jinping. It is a key development strategy in the country's reform and opening up in the new era. As the preamble to the Outline Development Plan points out, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is not only a new attempt to break new ground in the country's pursuit of opening up on all fronts in a new era, but also a further step in taking forward the implementation of 'one country, two systems'. The Outline Development Plan also clearly provides that through further deepening co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the objectives of the development of the Greater Bay Area are to promote co-ordinated economic development in the Greater Bay Area, leverage the complementary advantages of the three places, and develop an international first-class bay area for living, working and travelling." The spokesman said, "Fully and faithfully implementing the principle of 'one country, two systems' under which 'the people of Hong Kong govern Hong Kong' with a high degree of autonomy, as well as acting in strict adherence to the Constitution and the Basic Law, are the guiding ideology for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In fact, under 'one country, two systems', Hong Kong enjoys unique dual advantages. On the one hand, Hong Kong is part of China; on the other hand, our economic, legal and social systems are different from those of the Mainland. As a highly open and international city, Hong Kong can extend its international connections and experiences to the Mainland and help bring in foreign investments. Hong Kong can also join hands with Mainland enterprises to develop overseas markets and explore development opportunities, thereby enhancing economic development on the Mainland." "The opportunities for Hong Kong brought about by the development of the Greater Bay Area involve two aspects. First, it can help identify new areas of growth for Hong Kong and foster the diversified development of its economy and industries. Second, it will expand the space for living and development of Hong Kong residents." "The Hong Kong SAR Government will fully seize the opportunities brought about by the development of the Greater Bay Area, integrate the needs of the country with the strengths of Hong Kong and fully leverage the market-driven mechanism, enabling Hong Kong to enjoy brighter development prospects amid its integration into the overall development of the country." The spokesman pointed out that according to the Outline Development Plan, Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are identified as core cities, as well as core engines for driving regional development. The four cities will leverage their comparative advantages and strengthen the radiating effect in leading the development of nearby regions. He said that the Outline Development Plan clearly supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong's status as international financial, transportation and trade centres as well as an international aviation hub, strengthening Hong Kong's status as a global offshore Renminbi business hub and its role as an international asset management centre and a risk management centre, promoting the development of high-end and high value-added financial, commercial and trading, logistics and professional services, making great efforts to develop the innovation and technology industries, nurturing emerging industries, and establishing Hong Kong as the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region. These areas of work are all conducive to developing Hong Kong into an international metropolis with enhanced competitiveness. The Hong Kong SAR Government will proactively work with the relevant central ministries, the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the Macao SAR Government to jointly take forward the development of the Greater Bay Area in accordance with the guiding directions offset out in the Outline Development Plan. "The Hong Kong SAR Government will also continue to maintain close contact with Members of the Legislative Council, industries, business associations, professional bodies and relevant stakeholders, and listen to their views on how to effectively take forward the development of the Greater Bay Area, in order to ensure that relevant measures would better suit the needs of different sectors of society. The Hong Kong SAR Government will endeavour to play the role of "facilitator" and discuss with central ministries, the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the Macao SAR Government to help industries with the required policy innovation and breakthrough in the process of expanding opportunities," the spokesman said. Following the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan, a symposium will be held by the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the morning of February 21 in Hong Kong, during which the National Development and Reform Commission will introduce the contents of the Outline Development Plan. Officials from the three governments and representatives from relevant sectors will also attend the symposium to explore opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. Members of the public are welcome to visit bayarea.gov.hk to read the contents of the Outline Development Plan and latest information relating to the development of the Greater Bay Area. The Greater Bay Area covers nine cities in the Guangdong Province, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing, as well as the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao. Ends/Monday, February 18, 2019 Issued at HKT 19:00 NNNN