Land reclamation for science can diversify Macau economy, mainland expert says

A mainland expert says that Macau can create a technological innovation and entrepreneurship zone through land reclamation.

The expert, Qu Jian, is the deputy dean of China Development Institute (CDI), a think tank based in Shenzhen. He voiced his opinion yesterday during the Regional Policy and Development Studies Services Seminar, at the Macau Tower.

“Macau, while participating in international scientific innovation, should try every effort to create an innovation zone under its own control,” said Qu. “Macau should carry out land reclamation to form a new scientific industry increasing point, and should go to mainland cities to choose an enclave to extend the scientific innovation chain.”

Through land reclamation, Macau can fulfill its strategy in terms of diversifying its economy, and can even become an asset within the Greater Bay Area (GBA)’s scientific innovation, according to Qu.

While voicing his opinion on the GBA, the mainland expert pointed out that China and other eastern Asian countries have been unable to “attract high-tech to their own countries.” However, in Qu’s opinion, mainland China and the two SARs have already achieved cooperation in manufacturing and in the service industry.

“[Now] it comes to human beings’ most difficult cooperation, which is the scientific cooperation,” Qu remarked, adding that “it requires the cities, including Macau, to achieve highly efficient flows [in terms of human beings and resources].”

In the past five years, companies from various industries have been moving out from Guangdong provinces, as Qu highlighted, and these industries include both primary industries and IT industries. The relocations were said to reduce production costs.

How the GBA will “fill up the industrial blank” left by the relocation of companies in Guangdong is another challenge to study, said Qu.

Despite being the platform for trade and cooperation between China and Portuguese- speaking countries and a world tourism and leisure center, Qu believes Macau’s advantages in the GBA are actually not related to either its platform status or center functions.

“A small section of Macau has unique advantages, which consist of the cultural creativity and IT design sectors having a strong competitiveness,” the expert noted.

Zhejiang Province issues ban on new coastal projects

East China’s Zhejiang Province has issued a ban on new land reclamation projects to protect the marine environment, state media Xinhua reported, citing local authorities.

Apart from key national strategic projects, Zhejiang will stop approving new land reclamation projects and strengthen the protection of coastal wetlands.

The provincial government will also launch a probe into existing land reclamation projects, aiming to target real estate and low-standard tourism and recreational projects, as well as those that have polluted the marine environment.

Through the move, Zhejiang vowed to keep the ratio of natural coastline above 35 percent by 2020.

The ban came after a 2017 inspection by the State Oceanic Administration found improper and illegal land reclamation practices in 11 provincial-level coastal regions. The vacancy rate of reclamation land in regions including Zhejiang and Shandong provinces was found to be above 40 percent. MDT/Xinhua