Hengqin Cooperation Zone | Seeing Macau from across the river
Despite being just a stone’s throw away, most Macau residents are not clear about Hengqin. How will Hengqin’s policies benefit Macau? What is the investment prospect? How are the projects and corporations going in Hengqin?
On September 5, the master plan for building the cooperation zone in Hengqin, issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, was made public.
Through this plan, Hengqin has been brought into the spotlight again, despite years of attempts, trials, and errors.
Organized by the Macau Liaison Office, a delegation of Macau’s Portuguese and English press paid a two-day-visit to Hengqin, which has been reframed and upgraded as part of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone, according to the plan announced in September.
Four focus areas were mentioned to assist with Macau’s economic diversification. Sci-tech research and development and high-end manufacturing will be grown in the area along with traditional Chinese medicine and other traditional industries of Macau, such as tourism and culture, conventions, and exhibitions.
During the briefing session, iconic representatives were included in those key areas.
First industry-education-research demonstration base in the GBA
The Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute (ZUMRI) is an exemplary case of sci-tech research.
In 2019, the University of Macau (UM) established ZUMRI in Hengqin, Zhuhai, which is its first industry-education-research demonstration base in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
With research being the forte of UM’s three state laboratories and its preponderant disciplines, there are five research centers and one business training center in the ZUMRI. They are Microelectronics Research Center, Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center, Smart City Research Center, Medical Research Center, Advanced Materials Research Center and Executive Training Center, the Institute’s representatives said during the briefing session.
As of September 2021, ZUMRI is funded by the government and has 105 projects, among which 64 projects are funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
First joint venture law firm
ZLF Law Office (ZLF) is the first joint venture law firm in China which comprises of law firms from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The business scope of ZLF Law Office includes cross-border corporate finance, real estate, construction and infrastructure, intellectual property right, insurance, cross-border probate matters, immigration, cross-border marriage, notarial and attestation services, and cross-border dispute resolution.
The Director and Senior Partner of ZLF, Chen Yi, revealed that the authority is studying the feasibility of applying Macau laws, as an option, in Hengqin and the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone, regardless of whether the two parties are Macau or Mainland residents.
Both ZUMRI and ZLF Law Office are located in the Innovative Valley, which provides good working environment for young entrepreneurs. To encourage more Macau enterprises to enter, the valley also provides favorable policies towards Macau companies and entrepreneurs.
First project between Guangdong and Macau
As the first project was implemented under the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between Guangdong and Macau, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macau, known as GMTCM Park, was officially launched in Hengqin in April 2011.
Since the completion of the development of GMTCM Park at the end of 2018, a total of 216 enterprises have been registered in the park, among which 52, or 24%, are Macau enterprises fostered through the GMTCM Park.
Authenmole, a Macau company that features molecular plants, proposed and produced traditional Chinese medicine for dietetic therapy. It has an unmanned factory production line.
New home for Macau residents to live and work in
The master plan also prioritizes people’s livelihood by stating a set of concrete measures to build Hengqin into a new home for Macau residents to live and work in.
Zhuhai Resort of Guangzhou Chimelong should be one of the most familiar spots even for those who have not visited Hengqin. Until now, Chimelong Zhuhai owns the Ocean Resorts, the Circus City and five hotels. The Chimelong Marine Science Hotel is the latest hotel which opened this year.
Secondly, Sumlodol is a relatively young resort that features recreational vehicle (RV) camping. It is the first “China RV Camping Tourism Demonstration Base” in China and has been a new and popular spot for families.
Thirdly, the 13.6km (8.5 miles) Hengqin Flower Corridor stretching from the Hengqin Bridge to Gang’ao Avenue is a newly built spot for leisure. The flower corridor blooms with distinctive ornamental floss silk trees (ceiba speciosa), which have exotic white, pink, or red flowers. A sightseeing bus will be operating between Gongbei Checkpoint and Hengqin Flower Corridor from December 11 to January 3, according to official notice.
Grace Yu, MDT, Hengqin
