Xi Jinping cares about the new chapter of cooperation and development between the two regions

In the new neighborhoods of Hengqin Macau, familiar living scenes can be seen everywhere, such as dark green road signs, Portuguese style stone faced plazas, and single license plate cars passing by, making Macau residents feel like they are on familiar streets and alleys.

New Neighborhood in Macau is the first comprehensive livelihood project designed for Macau residents in Hengqin. Convenient transportation and a livable and business friendly environment provide convenient conditions for Macau residents to study, work, start businesses, and live here.

On the morning of December 19, 2024, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, accompanied by He Yicheng, Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, visited the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Deep Cooperation Zone for inspection. This is a friendly conversation between representatives of citizens who live together here and Xi Jinping in front of the Macao New Neighborhood Project exhibition area at the Hengqin Tianmu Qintai Exhibition Hall. Xinhua News Agency

On the morning of December 19, 2024, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, accompanied by He Yicheng, Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, visited the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Deep Cooperation Zone for inspection. This is a friendly conversation between representatives of citizens who live together here and Xi Jinping in front of the Macao New Neighborhood Project exhibition area at the Hengqin Tianmu Qintai Exhibition Hall. Xinhua News Agency

On the morning of December 19, 2024, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Deep Cooperation Zone for inspection. Xi Jinping had a cordial conversation with representatives of citizens living here in front of the Macao New Neighborhood Project exhibition area at the Hengqin Tianmu Qintai Exhibition Hall.

What are the professions in Macau? What are the conditions for entrepreneurship in Hengqin? "Xi Jinping is very concerned about the construction of Hengqin's business environment.

I am very happy and excited to report my entrepreneurial project to President Xi in person, "said Tang Jinzhen, a young entrepreneur from Macau." The vast development prospects and comfortable living environment in Hengqin have attracted me to stay there, and I have opened my first restaurant in a new neighborhood in Macau.

Nowadays, customs clearance between Qinhuangdao and Macau is becoming more and more convenient. It only takes about 20 minutes to drive from home in Macau to home in Hengqin. Many friends from Macau are coming to stay here, "said Tang Jinzhen.

The 24-hour self-service center for Macau government affairs is set up in the new neighborhood community in Macau.

From the cumbersome transfer process and the hassle of traveling by boat and car at the beginning, to now driving a single license plate vehicle in Macau to seamlessly pass customs, the commuting route between Macau residents and other places has become increasingly convenient and smooth.

Our home in Macau is relatively small. In Hengqin, we bought a three bedroom apartment with a terrace, and the price is only half of Macau's. "Macau resident Huang Zicai told Xi Jinping about the happy moments in his life.

Huang Zicai said, "I am a licensed doctor of traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations. Since we moved here, our entire living space and quality of life have been improved. This year, my child was born, and the whole family is looking forward to welcoming a new life in Hengqin's new home. There are also schools connecting Macao's education system in Hengqin, and I am confident that the child will grow up in Hengqin."

This is a drone photo of Hengqin Tianmu Qintai taken on November 26, 2024.

This is a drone photo of Hengqin Tianmu Qintai taken on November 26, 2024.

Hengqin and the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area provide more platforms and a bigger stage for the development of Macau youth, allowing us to realize our aspirations. Huang Zicai said that by integrating into the development process of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and seizing the development opportunities given to us by the country, we can perform a wonderful life in Hengqin.

With the continuous improvement of public services and social security systems in Hengqin, more and more entrepreneurial young people like Tang Jinzhen and Huang Zicai in Macau choose to stay in Hengqin and enjoy the convenient "switching" of dual city life, including the opening of the Hengqin Light Rail Line, the continuous use of family community service centers and new neighborhood elderly centers in Macau, and the pilot implementation of dual currency acquiring services to facilitate the use of Macau dollar mobile payment wallets in the cooperation zone.

The integration of people's livelihoods between Qinzhou and Macao has been further strengthened, and the cooperation zone has orderly connected Macao's public services and social security system, constantly exploring new mechanisms and models of cooperation.

Lotus Bridge and Hengqin (pictured above in 1999 and below in 2024). Image source: Xinhua News Agency

Lotus Bridge and Hengqin (pictured above in 1999 and below in 2024). Image source: Xinhua News Agency

The 'New Neighborhood of Macau' is just a microcosm of the accelerated promotion of integration between Macau and China. Since the central government announced the development of Hengqin Island in 2009, Xi Jinping has visited Hengqin multiple times to investigate and provide direction for its development.

In January 2009, then Vice President Xi Jinping came to Hengqin and brought news to various sectors of Macau society that the central government had decided to approve the development of Hengqin;

In December 2012, after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping left Beijing for inspection for the first time and came to Hengqin for the second time. He encouraged Hengqin to "carry forward the spirit of daring to be the first, take the lead in experimentation, further expand opening up, be brave in exploration, be brave in breaking new ground, and make contributions to Guangdong Hong Kong Macao cooperation in terms of institutional and mechanism innovation";

On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Macau's return to the motherland in December 2014, Xi Jinping visited Hengqin and called for "continued coordinated planning and active promotion of Macau's moderately diversified and sustainable economic development path" at the celebration conference held that morning;

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland in December 2024, Xi Jinping pointed out during his inspection of the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Deep Cooperation Zone that "we must always remember that the original intention of developing Hengqin is for the moderate and diversified development of Macao's economy";

With a strip of water, Qin'ao sings in harmony. The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Promoting Chinese path to modernization proposed to deepen cooperation in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and strengthen the convergence of rules and mechanisms. Improve the system and policies for promoting economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and deepen the integration and development of the two sides.

With the continuous acceleration of the construction of the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Deep Cooperation Zone, Hengqin and Macao will continue to play a new chapter in the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" for deep cooperation and integrated development.