Development of Macao to be lifted to new stage

Officials from the central government, Guangdong province, and the Macao Special Administrative Region met on Thursday to advance policies aimed at diversifying Macao's economy and deepening its integration into national development, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said.

In a brief statement prior to the gathering, the office said relevant central government ministries had signed agreements with the executive committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the Macao SAR government to support Hengqin's development. Attendees also toured key projects across the zone.

The meeting was held in Hengqin, an island in Guangdong that borders Macao, according to the statement.

The statement said the session focused on speeding up implementation of a package of policy measures for the cooperation zone, helping Macao SAR align with the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and carry out its own new five-year plan, and lifting the zone's development to a new stage.

Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, attended and addressed the meeting.