Macao Daily News:

Jiangxi province and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are members of the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region. What achievements have they made in terms of regional cooperation? What new measures will be adopted in the days to come? Thank you.

Liu Qi:

I'd like to invite Mr. Yi to answer this question.

Yi Lianhong:

Thank you for the question. The PPRD is one of the most vital regions in China. Moreover, Jiangxi and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are members of the region. We can say that Jiangxi is an important economic hinterland in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Over the past years, we have fully leveraged the important platform of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation and Development Forum under the "9+2" cooperation framework, and have fully boosted cooperation and exchanges with Hong Kong and Macao concerning the economy, trade, and culture. The outcomes have been remarkable. Trade and economic cooperation and exchange activities have been held annually in Hong Kong consecutively for the past 18 years, starting in 2002. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic last year, we held relevant activities in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, and the outcomes were remarkable. For example, in terms of attracting business and investment, Hong Kong and Macao have become our major sources of projects and funds. In 2020, over 74% of the newly-established foreign-funded enterprises were from Hong Kong and Macao, and more than 76% of foreign investment came from Hong Kong and Macao. 

In terms of trade cooperation, Hong Kong and Macao, especially Hong Kong, have always been important trading partners of Jiangxi province. Hong Kong is Jiangxi's second largest export market. Last year, our import and export trade with Hong Kong totaled over 33 billion yuan, up 20.6% year on year. In the first quarter of this year, our import and export volume with Hong Kong increased by 48.48% year on year.

In terms of logistics, we have actively expanded logistics channels with Hong Kong and Macao, and launched combined rail-sea freight trains to Shenzhen and Guangzhou. As China supports Hong Kong and Macao's better integration into the overall development of the country and promotes the high-quality construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, we are presented with a major opportunity to make full use of Hong Kong and Macao as a world-class platform for opening-up and to promote high-quality leapfrog development in Jiangxi through wider opening-up. We will take advantage of our strengths to deepen infrastructure connectivity, industrial integration and complementarity, and raise the level of cooperation between Jiangxi, Hong Kong and Macao.

More specifically, we will take several steps. First, we will strengthen transportation connections. The main aim is to open a comprehensive transportation artery with the Greater Bay Area, and strive to build a three-hour commuting circle to Hong Kong and Macao. We will speed up construction of the Jiangxi-Shenzhen high-speed railway, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year. After the railway is put into operation, it will take only about three hours to travel from Nanchang to Shenzhen. We will also improve the expressways linking Jiangxi with the Greater Bay Area, develop combined transport such as rail-sea freight trains, and increase both passenger and cargo flights between Nanchang and cities in the Greater Bay Area. 

Second, we will strengthen industrial cooperation. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is home to a world-class cluster of advanced manufacturing industries. High-tech industries in the Greater Bay Area are developing strongly. Jiangxi has the conditions and ability to undertake the relocation of strategic emerging industries from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and accept their influence and drive. We will follow the concept of "strengthening the leading role, reinforcing the chain, and cluster development" to jointly build and share industrial chains. At the same time, relying on the rich agricultural resources and agricultural product resources of Jiangxi, we will strengthen the market and standard docking with Hong Kong and Macao, and create a direct supply chain of green and organic agricultural products from Jiangxi to Hong Kong and Macao. We will also make good use of Jiangxi's unique advantages in culture, tourism and ecology to build a high-quality base for leisure, vacation and health for the Greater Bay Area and become its important and beautiful "back garden".

Third, we will strengthen coordination in innovation. We will deepen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation with Hong Kong and Macao, attract more high-end R&D and incubation institutions to set up headquarters or branches in Jiangxi, and enhance our collaborative innovation capability. At the same time, we will strive to build a base for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements for the Greater Bay Area. We will continue to actively carry out such activities as the "Three Invitations, Three Returns" and "Three Categories of Enterprises into Jiangxi" to attract more Jiangxi enterprises and talents in the Greater Bay Area to return home for innovation and entrepreneurship. Thank you.