Local experts encourage regional integration for economic recovery

President Xi Jinping visits Shenzhen in October

The fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China finished at the end of October, during which the Party leadership’s proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 was adopted.
China will strive to take new strides in economic development during the period, according to the communique released after the session. Furthermore, the proposal of China’s new five-year plan stressed the importance of being on high alert to outside interference in Hong Kong and Macau affairs.
China should resolutely guard against and contain outside interference in Hong Kong and Macau affairs, reads the new plan.
The new plan emphasizes the enhancement of the national awareness and patriotism of citizens in the two cities, while also stressing support for the better integration of Hong Kong and Macau into the development of the country, developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area in a high-quality manner, and improving policies and measures to make it easier for Hong Kong and Macau residents to develop on the mainland.
Distinct from the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), which focused more on economic, cultural and education cooperation in the regions, the 14th Five-Year Plan highlights the overall governance of the central government over the special administrative regions, emphasizing the implementation of law and enforcement mechanisms in safeguarding national security.
Local experts believe the adjustment shows that China is drawing lessons from the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle over the past five years, and that there is a lot more for Macau to participate in and improve.
Wang Yu, member of Macao Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee and vice chairman of Macao Legal Workers Association, pointed out that Macau experienced its first year of fiscal deficit since the handover as it was affected by the pandemic. Macau’s economy and society are facing huge challenges; thus the region needs to re-emphasize economic diversification. The mainland has launched a series of policies benefiting Hong Kong and Macau residents when they work and live on the mainland. Macau should make good use of these policies and actively integrate into the construction of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to further consolidate and enhance its competitive advantage.
Despite the fact that Macau has attached great importance to the promotion of the Constitution and the Basic Law since the handover, and patriotic education programs have been carried out smoothly in various local schools, Macau still needs to continuously enhance residents’ national consciousness and patriotism, according to Wang.
Kong Wa, a senior instructor at the University of Macau, stressed the keywords “communication” and “collaboration.” In addition to making full use of various convenience measures and preferential policies provided by the central government, the Macau Special Administrative Region should also strengthen exchange and cooperation with the mainland, especially in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and the joint collaboration between Guangdong and Macau. Macau should also play an active role in assisting Hengqin’s development.
Meanwhile, the MSAR should stick to its goals in developing “one center” (as a world center for tourism and leisure), “one platform” (for trade cooperation services platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries) and “one base” (acting as a cultural exchange and cooperation base), as quoted from Kong’s remarks.
Wang Xin, an associate professor from City University of Macau, believes that the MSAR should incorporate systemic concepts into exploring the new Five-Year Plan for Macau. At the same time, the Macau government should correctly understand the development situation of the country from a comprehensive, systematic, holistic and long-term perspective.
Wang identified that the key at present is to do a good job in developing the cooperation between Guangdong and Macau as it concerns to the development of Hengqin, so as to integrate into the overall national development plan with a more proactive attitude.
Ye Guiping, head of Socioeconomic Development Research Center of City University of Macau, indicated the spread of Covid-19 had fully exposed the defects of Macau’s single industrial structure. It once again proves, he says, that moderate economic diversification is the right way for Macau’s future economic and social development.
Participating in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, a major national development strategy is precisely the most direct and convenient way to help Macau get out of its predicament. This will also help Macau to overcome bottlenecks in human resources, city capacity, and so on.
This important document gives a total of 60 suggestions, three of which specifically mention the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. Ye proposed that it is necessary to form an international technological innovation center, creating an innovation platform in GBA, and thus supporting the high-quality development of the GBA.
The Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone is committed to serving as a direct foothold for Macau to participate in the construction of the Greater Bay Area. Ye suggests that the SAR government can build more technology industrial parks in the zone to attract high-end scientific and technological talents. Advanced manufacturing cities such as Dongguan, Zhongshan, and Huizhou could provide research and development that may result in transformation. In addition, Macau can also actively promote the sound integration of the Bay Area’s science and technology innovation categories, rules, systems and mechanisms, and formulate short, medium and long-term plans for science and technology policies, discussing the establishment of the GBA’s science and technology development bank and fund.
Lao Chi Ngai, lawmaker and director of the Macau Economic Association (ACEM), pointed out that Macau is at an important intersection of the new development pattern of the country’s “dual cycle” strategy, which will benefit economic diversification and hopefully help Macau with economic recovery.
President Xi Jinping first raised the idea in May and later elaborated on the concept that China will rely mainly on “internal circulation” – the domestic cycle of production, distribution, and consumption – for its development, supported by innovation and upgrades in the economy. Xi also said “internal circulation” will be supported by “external circulation.”
Fang Quan, a faculty dean at Macau University of Science and Technology and Macau representative for the All-China Women’s Federation, pointed out that promoting moderate economic diversification is not a new issue for Macau; it used to be discussed more, but less was done because of a lack of motivation. Following the pandemic, economic pressure has become a motivating factor, urging economic diversification and the reduction of the city’s external dependence on tourism. Grace Yu