Ieong Wan Chong
The Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) held a symposium yesterday exploring the link between Macau’s maritime management and the city’s sustainable development.
During Xi Jinping’s visit to the city in December, the Chinese president announced the central government’s decision to commence preparations to grant Macau management of its own coastal waters.
One of the guest speakers, Prof. Ieong Wan Chong, said that the 85 square kilometers of management area the city will enjoy under the new scheme could serve to assist Macau’s move towards sustainable development. The scholar from the Macao Polytechnic Institute’s One Country Two Systems Research Center also mentioned that the SAR government should examine how the territory’s limited space could be fully utilized to achieve economic diversification.
Another speaker Prof. Pang Chuan, associate vice-president of MUST, echoed the scholar’s remarks, saying the city’s coastal water management could help realize a sustainable growth through regional collaboration. The professor told the media that without sufficient land resources, the city’s target of transforming itself into a hub for travel and leisure could hardly be attainable. “I believe having [coastal waters management] is an expectation held by everyone, but even so, as the central government claimed, the city’s reclaiming of its waters requires the central government’s approval,” he stated. “However, as long as our government commits to reasonable infrastructural planning – which is conducive to the city’s economic development and its goal of becoming a key travel and leisure destination – the central government must show its support.” Staff reporter
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