Greater Bay Area guideline will map future regional development

Effective steps in encouraging the free flow of talents, goods, capital and information will be sped up as the general plan of the Greater Bay Area will be released soon, according to the governor of South China's Guangdong province.

At Monday's special session at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018, Governor Ma Xingrui said the guideline will offer goals and a strong impetus for regional development. "With a solid basis and huge potential, we are fully confident to build it into a world-class bay area," he said.

Guangdong will enhance cooperation with Hong Kong, he said. "We will focus on breaking blockades in different systems and mechanisms, and tap the advantages of each."

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said Hong Kong can make important contributions to the Greater Bay Area not only in creativity, but also in connections.

"The principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' is itself an innovation to become a unique advantage of the Greater Bay Area," Lam told the Monday forum.

Hong Kong can introduce international companies into the Greater Bay Area and assist mainland enterprises in going overseas. "We will provide the best conditions to facilitate the flow of people, goods, capital and information and to attract talented professionals," she added.

In jointly building up the Greater Bay Area into a tourism destination of the world, Macao will tap its potential in tourism administration and training and cooperate with other cities in the area in upgrading tourism services, said Leong Vai Tac, secretary for economy and finance of the Macao SAR.