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Speakers:

Guo Lanfeng, member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Leadership Group of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)

Wang Jianfan, director general of the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance

Wang Xin, director general of the Research Bureau of the People's Bank of China (PBC)

Zhang Hu, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of the People's Government of Guangdong Province

Guo Yonghang, deputy secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and SCIO spokesperson

Date:

June 24, 2022

Xing Huina:

Friends from the media, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the SCIO. Recently, the State Council issued the Master Plan of Guangzhou Nansha on Deepening Comprehensive Cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao with Global Perspective. This press conference will brief you on the document and take your questions. In addition to the main venue here in Beijing, today's press conference is also being held live in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Joining us today in Beijing are Mr. Guo Lanfeng, member of the CPC Leadership Group of the NDRC; Mr. Wang Jianfan, director general of the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance; and Mr. Wang Xin, director general of the Research Bureau of the PBC. We are also being joined live by local officials in Guangzhou, including Mr. Zhang Hu, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of the People's Government of Guangdong Province; and Mr. Guo Yonghang, deputy secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Guo Lanfeng for his brief introduction.

Guo Lanfeng:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, good afternoon. Thank you for your interest in and support for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and especially the major cooperation platform in Guangzhou's Nansha district. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to friends from all walks of life for their interest and support in the construction of the GBA.

Nansha district enjoys great geographic advantages, enormous development potential and a strong industrial foundation. As Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao have strong willingness for cooperation, Nansha bears unique advantages in promoting their comprehensive cooperation. In September 2012, the State Council approved the Development Plan for the Nansha New District of Guangzhou, requiring Nanshan to roll out construction and deepen comprehensive cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao. In February 2019, the Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area further specified Nansha's role in promoting cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, joining hands with Hong Kong and Macao to build a portal for high-level opening-up, jointly building a demonstration zone for innovative development, establishing a major platform for financial services, and creating a high-quality living environment. In recent years, in accordance with the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and the arrangements of the central leading group for the construction of the GBA, we have worked with Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and relevant government bodies to draw up the Master Plan of Guangzhou Nansha on Deepening Comprehensive Cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao with Global Perspective, and submitted it to the State Council for publication and implementation. The Nansha plan was published a few days ago.

The Nansha plan, consisting of seven sections and 26 articles, is a fundamental document to promote Nansha's development. It involves the following aspects:

It has phased objectives for 2025 and 2035, respectively. The plan proposes main targets in the fields of sci-tech innovation systems and institutional arrangements, public service capacity and business environment, to name a few.

It also stipulates five major tasks. First, industrial cooperation bases for sci-tech innovation will be built in Nansha. The master plan stresses strengthening collaboration in sci-tech innovation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, building major sci-tech innovation platforms, developing high-tech industries and pooling high-level international talents. Second, cooperation platforms for startups and youth employment will be established in Nansha. The master plan requires coordinated measures in promoting youth innovation and entrepreneurship, and calls for efforts to improve support for internships and employment and strengthen people-to-people exchanges among the youth. Third, joint efforts will be made to build Nansha into a portal for high-level opening-up. The master plan stipulates that a comprehensive service base for Chinese enterprises going global will be built in Nansha. Measures will also be taken to enhance Nansha's role as an international shipping and logistics hub, strengthen global economic cooperation and build Nansha into a new platform for international communication. Fourth, a mechanism for aligning rules and regulations will be established in Nansha. The master plan notes that a world-class business environment will be built in Nansha, with efforts promoting connectivity in its financial markets in an orderly manner and improving the coordination between public services and social management. Fifth, Nansha will also be built into a model for high-quality urban development. The master plan stresses increasing cooperation in urban planning and development, steadily promoting smart cities, steadily advancing educational cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, facilitating medical treatment and elderly care for Hong Kong and Macao residents and intensifying joint efforts in ecological protection and treatment.

The plan also stresses boosting support from four aspects: strengthening Party leadership in a comprehensive manner, increasing policy support such as for funding and other factors, creating new models for cooperation, and intensifying organization and implementation efforts.

The Nansha plan will help inject new vitality into an old city like Guangzhou, make new progress in the city's comprehensive urban functions, cultural capacity, modern service industry and its modern and global business environment, and enhance the city's role as the core and engine for the development of the GBA. The master plan will help improve Nansha's urban services in the areas of shipping, trade, finance and international communication, helping Nansha join hands with Hong Kong and Macao to build a high-level opening-up portal, and allowing it to play a bigger part in promoting and building the new development paradigm. The plan also helps create a major strategic platform for the comprehensive cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, enriches the practice of "one country, two systems," and supports Hong Kong and Macao's engagement in the country's overall development.

Going forward, we will earnestly implement the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and follow the arrangements of the central leading group for the construction of the GBA. We will work with relevant government bodies to increase communication and coordination, keep track of the progress and spare no efforts to support Guangdong province and Guangzhou city in carrying out the Nansha plan, in a bid to put Nansha's high-quality development on a steady and sustained course.

Thank you.