The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and the Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Mr Lionel Leong, co-chaired the 11th Hong Kong Macao Co-operation High Level Meeting (the Meeting) in Macao today (September 26). In the Meeting, both sides reviewed the achievements made since the last Meeting and had in-depth discussion on further collaboration between Hong Kong and Macao. 

     Mr Chan said, "This is the first Hong Kong Macao Co-operation High Level Meeting held after the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Under the principle of 'one country, two systems', Hong Kong and Macao will jointly take forward the development of the Greater Bay Area to achieve a win-win outcome for the diversified development of industries as well as economic and social developments of both places."

     Both sides reviewed the progress and achievement in respect of individual areas of co-operation, and exchange views on the directions for future co-operation.
      
     On economic co-operation, the Hong Kong and Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (HK-Macao CEPA) was signed and entered into force in October 2017. Under the Economic and Technical Cooperation Work Programme of the HK-Macao CEPA, relevant government departments of the two sides have conducted exchanges in various areas, including customs procedures and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, intellectual property, transparency in laws and regulations as well as legal services.
      
     On cross-boundary transport infrastructure, since the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) in October 2018, the operation has generally been smooth. The governments of Hong Kong and Macao have agreed that additional regular quota for HZMB Hong Kong/Macao cross-boundary non-commercial private cars would be issued with details to be announced in due course. The two governments will continue to work closely to press ahead with various cross-boundary transport initiatives for the HZMB so as to facilitate cross-boundary transports plying between the two places via the HZMB and thereby enhance the utilisation of the HZMB.
      
     On tourism co-operation, the Tourism Commission (TC) jointly established the Tourism Federation of Cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Federation) with the tourism departments of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the nine Greater Bay Area cities in the Mainland in December 2017. It also held the Federation's annual meeting in Hong Kong in June 2019, during which all members agreed on four key areas of co-operation, namely pursuing more facilitating measures for tourists travelling within the Greater Bay Area, strengthening co-operation in market regulation, stepping up joint publicity and promotion, and supporting the trade in developing more multi-destination products. The TC will continue to maintain close liaison with relevant parties in taking forward the concrete initiatives concerned.
      
     On cultural co-operation, the governments of Hong Kong and Macao will continue to strengthen exchange and communication under the existing co-operation mechanism of "Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Co-operation Meeting" in five aspects, namely exchange for performing artists and co-organisation of cultural programmes, co-operation in public libraries and cultural information, co-operation in museum services, intangible cultural heritage, and co-operation in cultural and creative industries.
      
     Apart from the above, Hong Kong and Macao have also made steady progress in the co-operation and exchanges in areas such as clearance facilitation, food safety, health, environmental protection, legal services and financial services. 
      
     Hong Kong SAR Government officials attending the Meeting included the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan; the Director for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs (Special Duties), Mr Tommy Yuen; the Deputy Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Ms Maisie Chan; the Deputy Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Ivy Law; the Acting Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Kesson Lee; and representatives from relevant bureaux and departments.
      
     While in Macao, Mr Chan also called on the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Chui Sai-on; the Chief Executive-elect of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Ho Iat-seng; and the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Fu Ziying.

Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2019
Issued at HKT 20:10

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