President Xi Jinping inspects Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin

Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, an island in south China's Guangdong Province, on Thursday morning.

President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, had warm exchanges with residents of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) who have lived and started businesses in the cooperation zone and with people involved in the zone's planning, construction, management and services.

Xi arrived in Macao on Wednesday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China and the inauguration of its sixth-term government as well as for an inspection tour.

During his inspection, Xi visited an exhibition hall where photographs, charts and physical models showcased the integrated development of Hengqin and Macao and the phased achievements of Guangdong-Macao cooperation in recent years.

Since the establishment of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, significant progress has been made in various aspects, and the level of integration between Hengqin and Macao has gradually improved, Xi said. 

He said the support for Macao's appropriately diversified economic development has become increasingly evident, adding that practice has proven that the central government's decision to develop Hengqin and build the cooperation zone is absolutely correct.

Xi also listened to a briefing on the Guangdong-Macao joint construction of a support platform for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technology. He affirmed their approach of integrating advanced technologies from multiple disciplines to help TCM reach the global stage.

During his visit to the Macao New Neighborhood, the first comprehensive livelihood project for Macao residents in Hengqin, he listened to a representative of young entrepreneurs from Macao about their experience of starting businesses in Hengqin.

Nothing that their stories of innovation and entrepreneurship show that Macao is home to a group of young people with ideals, a sense of responsibility, and a willingness to explore and innovate, Xi expressed hope that more young people from Macao create brilliant lives in Hengqin.

Xi emphasized the importance of remembering the original aspiration of developing Hengqin, which was to promote the appropriate diversification of Macao's economy.

Guangdong, Zhuhai and Macao are all contributors and beneficiaries of the cooperation zone's construction, and they should work together toward this common goal, he said.