Hong Kong to tighten partnership with Macau, develop Lantau

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying declared in his 2016 Policy Address in Hong Kong, that the HKSAR would continue to build on established economic partnership arrangements with Macau.
There were several mentions of developments concerning the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-­Macau Bridge (HKZMB), and the CE promised that the government would support initiatives this year to speed up the development of the Lantau connection.
The completion of works on Lantau would facilitate cooperation between the two SARs and the mainland, “with particular regard to Qianhai, Nansha and Hengqin,” the CE said, “as well as deepening regional cooperation in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region.”
Leung added that the government intends to create a blueprint for the island’s development and establish a dedicated “Lantau Development Office” to undertake the related tasks.
He also said the existing Lantau Development Advisory Committee has made a number of proposals detailing how other parts of the island might be used for housing, commercial and tourism purposes.
The population center would be concentrated in Tung Chung and Siu Ho in the northern part of the island, while the northeast specifically could be used for leisure and entertainment facilities.
Another proposal would see the construction of an artificial island near Kau Yi Chau, which could potentially house a population of 400,000 to 700,000 in the long term. The island could link Hong Kong Island, Lantau and New Territories West.