Policy address | Chief Executive hopes Hengqin becomes ‘another Macau’

With regards to the development of neighboring Hengqin Island, which falls under Zhuhai’s jurisdiction, Ho said he hopes “Hengqin will become another Macau.”
It has been suggested that Macau could rent the island from Zhuhai giving the SAR the space it needs to develop tourism-
based alternatives to gaming. Indeed, Beijing directives have pointed out that Hengqin should support Macau’s economic diversification.
In previous decades, Macau has found a solution to its scarcity of land problem by reclaiming land from the sea. Twenty years after the change of sovereignty, the administration is changing its mind on the matter for the first time.
“To reclaim more land in Macau now is too slow and unsuitable,” said Ho. “To achieve diversification in such short time, we must look at the big picture.”
More than three times larger than Macau, Hengqin island arguably offers the space and opportunity for diversification.
“I hope Hengqin will become another Macau,” Ho expressed with regards to the development of activity on the island. “I hope one day we can introduce our system to Hengqin – even introduce our laws to Hengqin.”
“I hope we can make Hengqin a shared place where we can co-develop,” added the Chief Executive.
The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated regional cooperation in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), as the three relevant jurisdictions turned inwards and formed their own policies to tackle the health crisis. Recent media reports have suggested that the special Covid-19 measures, as a whole, have also damaged the Macau public’s confidence in the concept.
But the Chief Executive, when questioned on the matter yesterday, did not seem convinced by the “loss of confidence” claim.
He acknowledged that during the fight against Covid-19, each government implemented certain special border control measures, decided “on the basis of safeguarding the people’s health.”
In addition to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, “Macau has also barred foreigners from entering the city. It is part of our anti-pandemic work. Does it mean that they have lost confidence in us?” Ho questioned in return.
He also offered the example of Europe and questioned whether the continent’s handling of the crisis would prompt Macau’s young people to abandon their studies there. “Many of our students have gone to Europe for their studies. Given the current condition there, will they not go back to continue their studies [after the pandemic is defeated]?”
“If one can’t distinguish between [measures during] pandemic and normal times, it is very problematic,” he added. “It is not right to lose confidence in a place for the mere sake of an outbreak.”
Nevertheless, the Chief Executive pledged his administration would help to rebuild people’s confidence in the regional integration concept.