CCTV:
Under the practice of "one country, two systems," Hong Kong and Macao have different social and legal systems than Guangdong. They are separate customs territories. So, the Greater Bay Area faces various challenges in its development. What measures will be taken to promote the development of the area given the policy of "one country, two systems?" Thank you.
Luo Wen:
Thank you for your question. The biggest difference between the Greater Bay Area and other international first-class bay areas is that under the practice of "one country, two systems," it is recognized that Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are three separate customs territories with three different currencies and legal systems. This means there are both advantages and challenges in its development. Hong Kong and Macao are developed market economies and free trade ports. Their economic performance, social governance, rules and standards, and government administration are more in line with international practice. Guangdong is the largest provincial economy on the Chinese mainland and also a forerunner of reform and opening up. Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong, forming the bay area, however, do share the same cultural roots. Their people also have close ties and similar customs. Each of them has their own advantages in terms of economic development. Synergy is bound to be achieved as long as they can foster close cooperation. Meanwhile, the Greater Bay Area is also confronted with challenges in regard to scientific and technological innovation, the flow of production factors, and the alignment of systems and mechanisms.
Looking forward, we will focus on the following areas in our work to promote the development of the Greater Bay Area.
First, we need to uphold the principle of "one country, two systems." What has happened fully demonstrates that "one country, two systems" is the best institutional arrangement to ensure long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao. It is imperative to fully and faithfully implement the policies of "one country, two systems," "the people of Hong Kong governing Hong Kong," "the people of Macao governing Macao," and a high degree of autonomy being granted to the two regions. It is also imperative to maintain a strategic resolve, enhance confidence, unswervingly implement the policy of "one country, two systems" and make sure that it is fully applied without being bent or distorted in any way.
Second, we have to act in accordance with the law. The Greater Bay Area has a unique developmental environment and great policy sensitivity. We will act strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the basic laws of the two special administrative regions, particularly respecting their social and legal systems and the high degree of autonomy granted to them. When handling issues related to Hong Kong and Macao, we will solicit and adopt constructive suggestions from figures from SAR governments and all the other sectors of society, to ensure the legitimacy of procedures, the integration of power and responsibility, and the compliance with laws and regulations.
Third, it is necessary to fully leverage the role of the market. We will ensure it plays a decisive role in resource allocation, and we will continue to free our minds and reduce administrative intervention. We will make greater use of market mechanisms to allocate and integrate quality resources around the globe, in an effort to create a stable, fair, transparent and predictable business environment. We will deepen mutually beneficial cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, in such fields as trade, business, technology, education, personnel exchanges, youth development, infrastructure connectivity and platform building.
Four, we intend to promote innovation in institutions and mechanisms. We will utilize the systemic strengths of "one country, two systems," the unique strengths of Hong Kong and Macao, as well as the strengths displayed in the early and pilot implementation of reform and opening up in Guangdong, to properly handle possible obstacles resulting from the differences of the "two systems." We will attach importance to innovation, explore ways to enhance synergy of different systems, build "bridges" connecting policies, so as to facilitate the flow of resources and production factors, as well as the integrated development of the markets among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
Matthew Cheung Kin-chung:
Hong Kong has a special advantage under the "one country, two systems" principle. We have sound rule of law and extensive international connections. We are an international financial center, enjoy a predominant geographical position and have a free and open market. We come out top in rankings on international competitiveness. Hong Kong has been ranked as the world's freest economy for 25 consecutive years. The "one country, two systems" practice is an asset for Hong Kong in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as a key for the bay area to connect with the international community. The Hong Kong SAR government will continue to implement the principle of "one country, two systems" and do its utmost to contribute to the construction of the bay area. Hong Kong will integrate the country's needs with its own strengths, and let the market play its full role. Keeping in view the bigger picture of the country's development, Hong Kong will also seek new growth points for its economy and provide a better life and development opportunities for its citizens. The outline development plan makes clear that Hong Kong's role as an international financial, shipping and trade center as well as as an international aviation hub will be cemented and strengthened. In addition, according to the plan, innovation and high technology will be encouraged here, and the city will establish itself as the center for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region. All of this will help Hong Kong build itself into a more competitive global metropolis.
Thanks.
Mi Jian:
You've raised a core question and it is not the first time we have been asked this. Indeed, we will have to address the "one country, two systems" arrangement during the economic integration process in the bay area, otherwise it will impact everything. It took a long while for the outline development plan to roll out, and a lot of study about Macao has been done along the way. How do we practically address this quite complicated issue now that the outline development plan is released? At present it seems the best way out is to simplify, but as to how to simplify is still under discussion.
As to the answer to your question, you can find it in President Xi's remarks at his meeting with the Hong Kong and Macao delegations on last year's event marking the country's reform and opening-up. The essential ideas are: first, Hong Kong and Macao played an irreplaceable role in the Chinese mainland's reform and opening-up process; second, the biggest reason behind their irreplaceable role was exactly the "one country, two systems" principle; and, third, Hong Kong and Macao are expected to continue to contribute to the country's new round of reform and opening-up, and the precondition of this is, of course, "one country, two systems." Therefore, the key to the success of this round of reform and opening-up is to continue practicing "one country, two systems." The new round of reform and opening-up is actually closely related with the construction of the bay area. You don't have to be too worried about this.
The Southern Daily:
Here is my question: Hong Kong and Macao are home to numerous research and higher educational institutes, where there are plenty of talented young people desiring innovative jobs or eager to establishing start-ups in the mainland. At the same time, the Outline has stipulated that the Greater Bay Area should support young people from Hong Kong and Macao to get employed or establish their own businesses. Therefore, I would like to know what achievements Guangdong province has made in shaping up incubator facilities backing innovation and entrepreneurship? What measures are in the pipeline? Besides, how can the governments of Hong Kong and Macao SARs assist their young people to seize the opportunities emerging from development of the Greater Bay Area?
Lin Shaochun:
Thanks for your questions. Young people from Hong Kong and Macao have always been welcome to work or start their own businesses in Guangdong province. According to incomplete statistics, over 360 start-up teams of young people from Hong Kong and Macao have settled in Nansha of Guangzhou, Qianhai of Shenzhen, and Hengqin of Zhuhai, since the establishment of relevant support platforms. These start-up teams are involved in cyberspace development, finance, science and technology, biology and medicines, and they have created job opportunities for nearly 4,000 people and made significant achievements. From now, the Guangdong government will upgrade the platforms and improve relevant policies on stimulating start-ups and increasing the number of jobs available. To be specific, we will improve platform functions in the following aspects: First, we will establish a base at provincial level in the Greater Bay Area for young people from Hong Kong and Macao to work for innovation concerns or start their own businesses. At the same time, we are seeking insightful exploration of the existing platforms in Qianhai, Nansha and Hengqin, summarizing their operational experiences to offer more precise services in future. We'll expand the platforms to other six cities within the Greater Bay Area. Therefore, there will be 12 platforms in total to help young people from Hong Kong and Macao to develop their careers.
Meanwhile, our policies are designed to improve relevant backup services. First, Guangdong province is addressing employment and start-up services with supportive policies and positive fiscal measures, targeting all young people from Hong Kong and Macao working in the Area. We plan to buttress the policies for encouraging local young people to seek jobs or start their own businesses in the province, which can also be applied to the young people from Hong Kong and Macao, and we will offer our support as long as they abide by the laws. Second, we will create a convenient business environment, streamlining administrative registration and providing a one-stop service for them, as we find they are unfamiliar with how to handle their tax obligations or apply for bank loans. Third, we will continue to review the supportive policies concerning their accommodation, medical insurance and taxation. In this regard, we are conducting holistic analysis and thorough research. All in all, young people from Hong Kong and Macao are welcome to seek employment or carry out a business in Guangdong, where we offer our all-around support to them. We hope they can make great achievements here.
Thank you!
Matthew Cheung Kin-chung:
The Hong Kong SAR Government attaches great importance to the development of young people, who are nothing less than our future and our hopes. We hope that young people in Hong Kong will carry the concept of the country, love for Hong Kong, and a vision for the world. We also hope that they can aim high and look far, exploring opportunities outside of Hong Kong.
We encourage Hong Kong youth to participate in the development of the Greater Bay Area, and we strive to provide more space for development and opportunities for Hong Kong's innovative and entrepreneurial young talent. We strive to make the Greater Bay Area a world-class international platform for innovation and entrepreneurship, while promoting the upward mobility of Hong Kong youth and enabling them to participate in the overall development of the Greater Bay Area and the country.
The Hong Kong SAR Government will integrate the innovative and entrepreneurial resources in the Greater Bay Area and build a sustainable ecosystem to support Hong Kong youth's innovation and entrepreneurship, using the region's youth innovation and entrepreneurship base as its core.
Specifically speaking, the Hong Kong SAR Government will work with non-government organizations to provide entrepreneurial Hong Kong youths with subsidies, support, counselling, guidance and incubation services, as well as work with the Guangdong provincial government to set up a Greater Bay Area Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base Alliance, and to build a one-stop publicity and compatible platform to support Hong Kong entrepreneurs to develop and settle in the Greater Bay Area.
Thank you.
Mi Jian:
The Macao SAR Government attaches great importance to youth work. This is not only a topic in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, but has also been a key task for us for a long time.
As a department that provides advice to the Chief Executive for decision-making and government administration, we are deeply aware of the SAR Government's input in this regard. When the Chief Executive led a government delegation to visit nine cities in the Greater Bay Area last year, he took a special youth delegation along to follow the government delegation on their tour in the region.
Last year we also held a youth forum in the Greater Bay Area. At the forum, young people from the region were given the opportunity to exchange ideas, and in particular, the forum made the young people from Macao realize the demands and challenges facing them on the advent of the Greater Bay Area.
More than a hundred years ago, there was a saying by Liang Qichao that everyone in the room knows: "When young people are strong, China will be strong." We also pointed out at the forum that the future Greater Bay Area is the Greater Bay Area of the youth. So if the young people in the Greater Bay Area are strong, the Greater Bay Area will be strong.
In this regard, the SAR Government has done a lot of work. First, we have implemented the "Thousand Talents Plan" which allows young people to participate in exchanges and study in the mainland, so as to prepare them for innovation and entrepreneurship. The young people in Macao are largely accustomed to staying in their comfort zone and are unwilling to step out. Now we will tell them, you must face this era and embrace the era of the Greater Bay Area.
Second, we have implemented the youth's Greater Bay Area innovation and entrepreneurship program. Third, we provide an interest-free business loan with a ceiling of 300,000 yuan to support young people's enterprises. Many young people rely on this government policy to go to Hengqin and other cities in the Greater Bay Area to start their businesses.
Fourth, for several consecutive years, the "Macao Youth Entrepreneurship & Innovation Delegation" has been organized to study innovation and entrepreneurship experiences in the mainland. Fifth, we have set up a one-stop youth innovation and entrepreneurship platform in Zhongshan. In addition, Governor Lin said just now that we provide practice platforms for young people in Hengqin, Nansha and Qianhai. There are many specific tasks involved that I won't elaborate at this time.
Ta Kung Pao:
The outline development plan calls for strengthening strategic emerging industries and nurturing particular major industry projects such as 5G technology. We wonder if the 5G technology will be commercially used first in the Hong Kong and Macao regions? Thank you.
Luo Wen:
5G is regarded as one of the core technologies representing the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. It is also the strategic information infrastructure for the Internet of Things and human-machine interaction. China has placed great importance on the development of 5G technology and is stepping up the commercial use of this technology. In accordance with the requirements of high-quality development, relevant departments are improving coordination and enhancing policy guidance, so as to make a primary plan to promote 5G research and its commercial application, which relies on the dominant role of enterprises and focuses on industry development. We support the enhanced synergy and exchange between enterprises of the Greater Bay Area and encourage them to share their achievements. We encourage telecom operators in Hong Kong and Macao to make commercial use of 5G technology and make the technology better serve the residents there. In the next stage we will, together with other involved departments, proactively advance the work in this regard. Thank you.
Xinhua News Agency:
We know that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is actively building an international science and technology innovation center. Presently, the Outline Development Plan lists this center as one of specific tasks in the first chapter. My question is why the central government is supporting Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to jointly build this innovation center? What is the next step in the project, and how will the three places move it forward? Thank you.
Luo Wen:
Thank you for your question. General Secretary Xi Jinping once described the vision of the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area: It will be a dynamic and internationally competitive first-class bay area and a model for high-quality development. To achieve this, building an international science and technology innovation center is a top priority, a key of all keys, and this is one of the most agreed-upon and advantageous parts of the construction of the Greater Bay Area. It shoulders the historical responsibility of setting a new high point for innovation and development in our country, and driving the Pearl River Delta region to take the lead in achieving innovation and transformation. The reason why the central government should support Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to jointly build an international science and technology innovation center is mainly based on the following three aspects:
First, there is an urgent need to improve the overall layout of China's regional innovation and to accelerate the shift of economic development to becoming innovation-driven.
The Greater Bay Area's science and technology innovation center follows the examples set by the two science and technology innovation centers in Beijing and Shanghai, and has been planned, arranged and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping in person.Through the construction of the science and technology center, we can fast-track the full integration of scientific and technological innovation into the real economy, modern finance and human resources. We can also promote the economic aggregates of these three massive urban clusters — Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — which account for nearly 40 percent of the country's economy, to be built into an innovative economy, in turn leading the transformation of China's economy as a whole into one that is driven by innovation.
Second, we will give full play to the comparative advantages of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and maintain the fundamental requirements for long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao complement each other powerfully in terms of innovation. By co-constructing the science and technology innovation center, Hong Kong and Macao's advantages in basic research, talent cultivation, modern finance and knowledge-intensive services will be amplified. This will then interact with Guangdong's real economy, extending the industrial chain and innovation chain, opening up broad market space and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao.
Third, we will make use of Hong Kong and Macao's internationalization, and drive the Greater Bay Area to accelerate their incorporation into the global innovation network. Hong Kong and Macao are two of the world's free trade ports, with flexible market mechanisms and a high degree of internationalization. They have established extensive innovation connections with major countries and regions around the world. By co-constructing the science and technology innovation center, they will attract high-level innovative talent, enterprises and scientific research institutions to gather in the Greater Bay Area, which will encourage the enterprises, technologies and standards of the Greater Bay Area to venture out and deeply integrate into that global innovation network.
In the next step, based on the decisions and deployments made by the central government, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) will coordinate with other relevant departments, as well as with Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao, to build a splendid scientific and technological innovation center for the Greater Bay Area in the following aspects:
First, we need to establish an appropriate working mechanism. According to the deployment of the State Council, the NDRC will set up a team designated to work for the scientific and technological innovation center under the leadership of the Greater Bay Area Construction Leading Group. It will coordinate the work on how to chart roadmaps, develop policies, distribute assignments and allocate resources. With the support from relevant departments and local governments, the innovation center can be run jointly from top to bottom.
Second, we will devise coordinated policies. We support the pilot operations of innovative cooperation zones in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, in Zhuhai's Hengqin, and in Guangzhou's Nansha, spearheaded in the policies designed to protect Intellectual Property Rights, supervising markets, developing scientific and technological finance, creating talent pools and encouraging high-tech applications. We will establish cross-border platforms to facilitate the flow of various elements, facilities, creative development and people-to-people interconnectedness, bringing deepened innovation-centered structural reform not only to the Greater Bay Area but also the country as a whole.
Third, we want to ensure that the major programs run well. Based on the scientific and technological innovative corridor comprising Guangzhou, Shenzhen, HK and Macao, we plan to make good use of central governmental, regional and social resources, spending them on a number of infrastructure developments for major scientific and technological projects, interdisciplinary research platforms and frontier high-tech innovation centers. We want to bring about a batch of high-quality innovations, establish a host of highly internationalized sci-tech centers, leading more regional and social investment and attracting top-end higher educational institutes, research and R&D centers to develop in the Greater Bay Area, upgrading the scope and prominence of regional sci-tech centers.
Fourth, we intend to deepen reform and cooperate for expanded innovation. We want to remove the obstacles that affect the easy elemental flow of talents, technologies, funds, facilities, information, data and samples and support deepened cooperation among Guangdong, HK and Macao. The reform at the pilot zone level can be escalated to a higher standard and expanded to more extensive spectrums so that the communication, exchanges and innovative cooperation of the three regions can take on a new shape. We will fully adhere to the internationalization drive, grasping and making full use of global resources, to support the enterprises, standards, technologies and products to go abroad and expand the dimensions of innovation, cooperation and openness.
Lin Shaochun:
As far as I know, scientific and technological innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is not only a necessity to lead economic development, but also for strengthening areas of weakness. The Greater Bay Area covers an area of 56,000 square kilometers, has a population of more than 70 million, and an aggregate economy now valued at more than US$1.5 trillion.
Compared with other bay areas in the world, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, there are shortcomings in our technological innovation. Key laboratories and scientific and technological institutions in Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley and the University of California are highly developed. The Tokyo Bay Area, where the University of Tokyo is located, is also home to many Nobel Prize winners.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area enjoys special favors from nature, and has a large population, an industrial system complete with all necessary departments, and a very well-developed manufacturing sector. From a strategic perspective, the central government has put science and technology in first place to lead local development, which is, I think, very much to the point.
Guangdong still has a long way to go, and I would like to explain this point in more detail. While implementing central government decisions, the province will promote the establishment and improvement of cross-border scientific research cooperation systems. Guangdong has its own advantages, as do Hong Kong and Macao. Guangdong's advantages include a complete range of scientific research and industrial application systems, which can pool resources to get the big jobs done. The advantages of Hong Kong and Macao's include high-end scientific research forces and high-level internationalization and marketization. So, how can we combine the advantages of all partners?
First, we will establish a cooperative mechanism to bring the various advantages into full play. We will organize and guide all the major enterprises, research institutes and universities in the Greater Bay Area to deepen their basic and applied basic research, and to participate in the key projects launched in Guangdong. According to General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions to Guangdong, the projects will cover nine aspects – generation of new information technology, equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, a green low carbon approach in development, the digital economy, new materials, the marine economy, engineering technology and seedling industry of modern agriculture.
Second, we will work in close cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao to build a science and technology innovation corridor linking Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao. The project will focus on accelerating the building of the necessary technological infrastructure and frontier subject research platforms. At the same time, we will build the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, the Nansha-Qingsheng Science and Technology Industrial Park, and Hengqin Traditional Chinese Medicine Industrial Park as the bases to speed up the commercialization of R&D achievements.
Third, we will explore ways to strengthen resource sharing and promote the exchanges of innovative elements. We will no longer impose restrictions on financial research funds in Guangdong. That means financial funds in Guangdong to support scientific research can be used across the border to Hong Kong and Macao. Moreover, scientific research institutions and laboratories in Guangdong will be fully open to Hong Kong and Macao compatriots. If Hong Kong and Macao universities and research institutes need to use the equipment in Guangdong, they can simply apply. For example, Dongguan's spallation neutron source will be fully open to research institutions from Hong Kong and Macao.
In the next step, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee, we will further strengthen communication with Hong Kong and Macao, and do more research on supportive policies and measures in scientific and technological innovation. Thank you.
Matthew Cheung Kin-chung:
Hong Kong possesses world-class universities, a strong research capacity, a sound judicial system and intellectual property rights protection system. Hong Kong can make use of its international business environment to pool resources from the mainland and other parts of the world. While attracting international innovation enterprises into the Greater Bay Area, we will also help mainland technology start-ups to "go global," in an effort to promote the development of an international innovation and technology hub. This HKSAR government attaches great importance to innovation and technology, and has earmarked HK $100 billion, or 86.1 billion yuan, for this work. Hong Kong is ready to play an important role in building the Greater Bay Area into an international innovation and technology hub. The HKSAR government sincerely thanks the Central Government for supporting Hong Kong's development of innovation and technology. In the instructions made by President Xi Jinping last May, he said that Hong Kong has a strong science and technology foundation and a large group of high-tech talents; and he praised the contributions made by the Hong Kong sci-tech community to the development of the SAR and the country. He also affirmed support for Hong Kong's development as an international innovation and technology hub. In the past year, the Central Government introduced a number of concrete measures to support Hong Kong, including cross-border allocation of national research foundations, and the decision to set up schools and institutions affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as placing some of its research institutes at the two innovation and technology platforms established in the Hong Kong Science Park.
Looking ahead, we will intensify our efforts to promote the development of an international innovation and technology hub. The following are the specific measures: first, to support the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop; second, to establish a base for research and cooperation by attracting first-class Chinese and foreign companies, research institutes and universities; third, to actively advance the establishment of two innovation and technology platforms on "medical technologies" and "AI & robots" in the Hong Kong Science Park. Our efforts to encourage technological innovation focus on four sectors, namely: biotechnology, AI, smart city and FinTech. The HKSAR government will continue to develop the necessary innovation and technology infrastructure, attract talents, facilitate R&D and promote "re-industrialization," and increase support for the scientific community. I would like to emphasize that the past year has seen remarkable improvement in the innovation environment of Hong Kong. Thank you.
Mi Jian:
Earlier I was introducing Macao's role in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and I mentioned a "corridor" of international technological innovation linking Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao that is envisioned in the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It makes us proud that Macao is seen as an important link of the corridor.
Macao's situation may not be able to compare to what was described by Mr. Lin and Mr. Zhang. However, the city is home to four State key laboratories and this is something special among the city clusters in the Pearl River Delta, especially in the cities along the western banks of the river. Now, the Macao Special Administrative Region government is seeking to enhance cooperation with other cities in the Greater Bay Area via the four laboratories, and exploring cooperation plans.
The Macao SAR government has placed the project in a very important position. Last year, it established a working committee for the construction of the Greater Bay Area. This year we have created a special task force for technological innovation and smart city development, which will be responsible for a series of technological innovation programs to be carried out in the future.
The development of technological innovation carriers and platforms will be accelerated, including the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao, located in the Hengqin New Area of Zhuhai, and the platform for development of TCM science and technology industrial park.
Investment in the higher education sector has been taking up a sizable portion of Macao's entire GDP. In recent years, the SAR government has invested heavily in both higher education and scientific research, and it plans to increase input to help higher education institutions and research facilities to actively participate in the development of the Greater Bay Area.
Macao now plans to strengthen cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the China Association for Science and Technology. By utilizing the technological strengths of the mainland will enable Macao to fulfill its historic responsibility of constituting the envisioned international technological innovation corridor in the Greater Bay Area.
My answer to the reporter's question is that it is in line with the trend of the times for the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to make international scientific and technological innovation a core aspect. We may say that the Outline Development Plan reflects a deep insight of the global trend. Everyone can see from the recent changes of the world that future socioeconomic development cannot do without the development of science and technology. Only through continued efforts in scientific and technological innovation can our country realize fast growth in manufacturing and the real economy and present a stronger image on the global stage.
Thank You.
Radio Television Hong Kong:
I would like to know how you plan to ease the pressure on Hong Kong and Macao in the process of integration while developing the Greater Bay Area, and what measures will be taken to ensure Hong Kong and Macao residents participate in the development of the Greater Bay Area without concerns? Thank you.
Luo Wen:
Thank you for your question. General Secretary Xi stressed the importance of formulating and improving policies and measures to make it more convenient for Hong Kong and Macao residents to pursue career development on the Chinese mainland, and develop "one-hour living circles." This is the very response to the people's expectations and their pressing need. These measures will continue to address people's growing needs for a better life.
There is a special chapter in the development plan regarding development of a quality circle for living, working and traveling in the Greater Bay Area. It calls for active construction of the "one-hour living circle." In this regard, we will adopt three specific measures:
The first is infrastructure construction. We will promote establishment of an infrastructural network with a rational layout, comprehensive functions, smooth connections and efficient operations, so as to achieve an average one-hour commuting between the major cities in the Greater Bay Area.
The second is customs clearance facilitation. We will continuously raise the level of convenience in the use of the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao residents through the means of digitalization and informatization. We will increase the number of automatic clearance channels for inbound and outbound travelers at major land control points, so as to achieve 24-hour customs clearance at more ports. We will also enhance collaboration between Mainland customs authorities and those of Hong Kong and Macao to further enhance efficiency of cross-border logistics.
The third is about public services. We will enhance the dovetailing of cross-boundary public services and social security, and facilitate reductions and even removal in long-distance and roaming charges for mobile phones in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. We will also enable eligible children of Hong Kong and Macao residents to enjoy the same rights as Mainland residents regarding compulsory education and senior secondary education, and improve the linkage mechanism for emergency medical rescue services to provide residents in the Greater Bay Area with timely, efficient and convenient public services.
Mi Jian:
I understand the point of your question from the Macao perspective. First, there is a need to face the increasingly open trend of the times. No city can progress if it closes itself off, and we have to deal with some pressure from this process. In recent years, Hong Kong and Macao have seen the entry of large numbers of tourists. I noticed that Macao was full of people during the Spring Festival, and Hong Kong faced similar pressure; however, as I have often discussed with young people, the reason why Macao is where it is today is that it is an open and international city. The same applies to Hong Kong. Therefore, we must mentally prepare ourselves for the pressure brought by the flow of people with development of the Greater Bay Area. However, that does not mean we will do nothing about it and let it continue unchecked. This must be avoided, and requires the wisdom of government departments. It is also necessary for the three places to cooperate. However, all in all, it is a trend that we must face. Thank you.
Xi Yanchun:
The development plan aims to enable the people of the three regions to live a better life. It will also take into account the needs of the three places in various aspects.
TDM:
The outline plan mentioned that Macao is required to work together with adjacent cities on disaster prevention. My question is how that work, which involves Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, is going so far. Thanks.
Lin Shaochun:
Thank you for the question. In the Greater Bay Area, Guangdong and Macao share close cooperation in this regard. I believe you must be aware of the typhoon in 2017, which led to two days of blackouts and seawater encroachment in the area. The challenge is how to prevent natural disasters. We have made efforts as follows. First, we have built a meteorological information sharing system to forecast inclement weather. The three places have joined this system, which can accurately forecast weather disasters and related information.
Second, we have formed a mechanism that requires us inform each other of pertinent and timely information before disasters occur. That is to say, Guangdong must keep related departments in Hong Kong and Macao advised of relevant information, and vice versa. By this process, the three locations need to collaborate with each other to resolve disaster prevention problems together. We discuss the issues together.
Third, more specifically, we have installed a two-circuit electrical supply in Macao, improving the reliability of Macao's electricity through underground cable. Additionally, you may be interested in the tide gates. Fernando Chui, chief executive of Macao, cares profoundly about this issue, and he came to Ma Xingrui, Guangdong's provincial governor, to talk about it. Guangdong supports Macao initiating the work. After the project is approved, the two sides will assess its ecological and environmental influences and conduct accurate monitoring and measuring of astronomic tide data, in a bid to roll out an effective prevention and control method. We are building these mechanisms and will continuously improve relevant facilities, working together to effectively prevent and control natural disasters. Thank you.
Mi Jian:
Let me supplement by talking about some of the work done by Macao. Your question relates to Typhoon Hato on Aug. 23, 2017, which caused the loss of life and property in Macao. The disaster shook the special administrative region, and offered a profound lesson to the SAR government. Consequently, within three months, the design of the tide gate was approved. Chui, the chief executive of Macao, has been involved in the entire process, collaborating with Ma Xingrui and Lin Shaochun, Guangdong's provincial governor and vice-governor. The project is supported by the Ministry of Water Resources, and has demonstrated high efficiency in regional cooperation.
As for now, the draft of our 10-year disaster prevention and reduction plan has undergone six revisions. A critical component is the tide gate, which has come to the phase of technological verification. Although the tide gate's basic plan is workable, it still requires comprehensive analysis of astronomical and meteorological data, as well as tides and water supply, to determine whether it can be built and managed effectively. It is a very complex project. But you can send a message to Macao citizens that they can rest assured that the Macao SAR government is treating this with the utmost importance, and will not allow Macao to experience another situation like Typhoon Hato of Aug. 23.
China Business Network:
My question is related to the capital markets. There are two major stock exchanges in the Greater Bay Area in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. I would like to know, in the process of the construction of the Greater Bay Area, how can the two exchanges contribute to its development. Another concern is the future reform of the growth enterprise market of the Shenzhen Exchange, as we know both Shanghai and Hong Kong have made some institutional breakthroughs in supporting technology innovation enterprises to be listed. What will be the key point of Shenzhen Exchange's reform in the future? Thanks.
Lin Shaochun:
Thank you for the question. As you said, finance is very important in the construction of the Greater Bay Area, and the financial industry is of great significance to the economic development of Guangdong, whose gross domestic product reached 9.72 trillion yuan last year, with more than eight percent contributed by the financial industry's added value. I think we should make efforts in the following aspects to promote the development of financial industry while constructing the Greater Bay Area.
First, the finance must be stable and free of problems. If there is something wrong with finance, the influence upon the whole economy is unacceptably great. So, we must abide by the State's relevant financial policies to boost the development of financial industry in the Greater Bay Area. Second, you mentioned that Shanghai has transformed its approval system to a registration system regarding technology and innovation-based enterprises' application for stock market listing. We are also seeking support from the central department for this. Currently, we are following the central government's requirement and improving the relevant conditions. Third, we follow the central government's requirements to strengthen supervision in preventing financial risk. Among the three difficult battles involved, the first is to prevent and control financial risk. In future, we must ensure the financial industry serves economic development, and healthy development of the financial sector. Thanks.
Economic Daily:
Accelerating the connection of infrastructure facilities is an important support element for construction of the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area. But apart from the hardware connections, society also expects more convenient management measures to facilitate the exchanges of people and transport vehicles, so as to promote the flow of production factors. My question is: what consideration, if any, is being given in this regard.
Luo Wen:
Thank you for the question. The efficient flow of production factors is not only a foundation for market integration and Greater Bay Area construction, but also an issue society cares about and that should be solved. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that we should strengthen the "soft connection" of mechanisms and "hard connection" of infrastructural facilities. We must implement his important guiding spirit to promote the efficient flow of production factors. Specifically speaking, we need to do two jobs well.
First is the "hard connection" of infrastructural facility construction. We should plan it as a whole and expedite planning of construction of inter-city railways and connection of the infrastructural facility construction in the Greater Bay Area, among which the connection of the Mainland with Hong Kong and Macao, and the connection between the east and west banks of the Pearl River are key jobs. We should further improve the network of major railways in the Greater Bay Area, and construct an express inter-city transportation network consisting of high-speed railway, inter-city railways and high-speed roads. We need to improve the Pearl River Delta port cluster's international competitiveness, and accelerate the construction of a world-class airport cluster.
Second is the "soft connection" of institutions and mechanisms. The work should be led by the construction of an international science and technology innovation center, a focus on science and technology innovation, personnel exchanges and some other key areas, and promoting the rollout of systematic pro-innovation policies to facilitate the flow of science and technology talent and research cooperation.
We should strengthen collaboration among the customs departments and ports in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, to expand and improve their functions, and facilitate customs clearance in the three places according to law, so as to make it more convenient for personnel exchanges between the Mainland and Hong Kong and Macao. We are working to optimize policies allowing Hong Kong and Macao single-plate registered automobiles to enter the Mainland, and exploring the possibility of letting Hong Kong and Macao residents living and working in Guangdong, to enjoy the same welfare level in education, medical care, pension, housing and transportation as their Mainland counterparts. Thanks.
Xi Yanchun:
I'd like to thank our four speakers for attending this news conference. Thank you all. That's the end of today's event.
