John Lee: HKSAR govt to seize opportunities brought by development of Greater Bay Area

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will seize the new opportunities brought about by the two plans unveiled by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) that aim to boost cooperation and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), John Lee, chief executive of the HKSAR, has said.

Speaking on Thursday, Lee said the HKSAR government is grateful to the central government for the various policy initiatives outlined in the plan, which he added are not just of benefit to Hong Kong but will also contribute to the development of the GBA and the country.

China's NDRC, the country's top economic planner, on Thursday unveiled a development plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone (Qianhai overall development plan) and another for the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin (Hengqin overall development plan).

The Qianhai overall development plan provides a comprehensive view of the strategic positioning, development objectives, spatial layout, industry planning, business environment, urban planning, quality living environment, and governance model of the Qianhai cooperation zone, among other things. Its objective is to promote the demonstrative and leading roles Qianhai plays in the development of the GBA, further deepening the collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Lee said that the Qianhai overall development plan sets a clear direction for Qianhai's development and opening up, adding that these initiatives will remarkably expand the scope of development for Hong Kong talents and enterprises.

"As two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong and Macao have all along been upholding the principle of 'One Country' while leveraging the benefits of 'Two Systems'. Under the principle of complementarity, both cities embrace the role as the core cities of the GBA and core engines for regional development," Lee said.

Hong Kong will grasp the unlimited opportunities brought about by coordinated regional development, so as to make contribution to the high-quality development of Hong Kong and the entire GBA, he added.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: A view of south China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, December 16, 2023. /CFP)