This March 9, 2022 aerial photo shows the Hengqin Checkpoint connecting the Macao Special Administrative Region with Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING – The National Development and Reform Commission – the country's top economic planner – on Thursday unveiled two plans that aim to boost cooperation and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The country expects Shenzhen's Qianhai to play its leading role in developing the Bay Area and broadening Hong Kong's development space, according to the plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone.

By 2035, the cooperation zone, which covers an area of 120.56 square kilometers, shall have established an innovation-driven development model featuring industrial synergy and market connectivity with Hong Kong and Macao and become a new international trade center, an international high-end shipping service center, and an engine for high-quality development, said the document.

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In a separate statement, the NDRC also released a plan for the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, Zhuhai.

By 2035, the 106-square-kilometer area is expected to become a strong growth engine for the Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao science and technology innovation corridor and have helped promote appropriate diversity in Macao's economy.

By then, the Hengqin cooperation zone is also expected to become a livable area supporting the free flow of factors between Hengqin and Macao, with around 80,000 Macao residents working there and around 120,000 living there, according to the plan.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu welcomed the promulgation of the two plans.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will lead all sectors of the community to seize the opportunities brought about by the development of Qianhai and Hengqin, captialise on Hong Kong's distinctive advantages under the "one country, two systems" principle and join hands in taking forward the high-quality development of the Bay Area, he said.

Noting that President Xi Jinping has emphasized high-quality coordinated regional development and cares for Qianhai's development and opening up, Lee said the development plan sets a clear direction for Qianhai in this regard.

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The HKSAR government is grateful to the central government for the policy initiatives outlined in the plan, "which are not just of benefit to Hong Kong but will also contribute to the development of the GBA and our country", he said.

“In particular, measures in financial services, legal services, professional services and information technology services as well as those facilitating Hong Kong and Macao residents setting up businesses, working and living in Qianhai, and Hong Kong residents of foreign nationalities traveling in the mainland cities of the GBA, will remarkably expand the scope of development for Hong Kong talent and enterprises.”