CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, December 20, 2019 | 7

th ANNIVERSARY OF MACAO SAR Greater prospects As part of the 13th Five-Year Plan, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is an important national economic development strategy for China

Globally influential Vibrant international world-class innovation and city cluster technology hub

GOALS OF GREATER Important Quality area for BAY AREA support pillar for living, working and the Belt and Road traveling Initiative

Showcase for in-depth cooperation GUANGDONG between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Guangzhou Zhaoqing

Foshan Dongguan Jiangmen Huizhou Shenzhen

GREATER BAY AREA Zhongshan INFORMATION Hong Kong Member cities: Macao Two special administrative Zhuhai 47 regions, plus nine Bachelor’s degree Guangdong cities

Population Area Unit: million GDP Unit: sq km EDUCATION Unit: billion yuan Hong Kong SAR 1,106 Macao SAR 32.9 LEVELS IN 9 GREATER Guangdong Master’s degree and above BAY AREA 1,997 Shenzhen Unit: percent 2,297 Guangzhou 7,434 Hong Kong SAR 7.39 Hong Kong SAR 2.2 Foshan 3,798 9.3 Junior high Vocational Dongguan 2,460 and below senior high Huizhou 11,346 Zhongshan 1,784 Jiangmen 9,505 Zhuhai 1,732 Macao SAR 340 0.65 Macao SAR Zhaoqing 14,891 32.5 Vocational college

GUANGDONG GUANGDONG

65.3 Guangzhou Bay Area plan gives Macao a key role 64 Shenzhen Shenzhen 2,244 12.53 Shenzhen By ZHANG YANGFEI MACAO: [email protected] SMALL BUT WEALTHY OVERNIGHT 24.5 The outline development plan for the Guangdong­ Macao' s global ranking in VISITORS TO Zhuhai Hong Kong­Macao Greater Bay Area, unveiled by the GDP per capita according 4th CITIES IN central government in February, listed Macao as one of 16.9 to the World Bank. GREATER Foshan the four core engines for the region’s development. BAY AREA The plan, with 49 items directly related to Macao’s 26.9 development, said it will be built into a center of world 2018 Huizhou tourism and leisure, a platform for commerce and Contribution of gaming and Unit: million Guangzhou 2,150 trade with Portuguese­speaking countries to promote 14.50 Guangzhou 21.8 junket sector to Macao's Dongguan moderate economic diversification, and a multicultur­ economic activity last year, with 50.5% al base with Chinese culture as the mainstream. gross value added of 220.84 The Macao Special Administrative Region gov­ billion patacas ($27.49 billion), ernment established a working committee for the up 10 percent year-on-year. 27 Jiangmen 14.1 construction of the Bay Area last year that is respon­ Zhongshan sible for coordinating the overall design and deploy­ 29.2 ment of Macao’s participation in the Bay Area. 18.4 Hong Kong Macao In June, it released an annex to Macao’s five­year development plan that was dedicated to Macao’s par­ 13.7 ticipation in the Bay Area construction, covering a Zhaoqing Foshan 955 7.66 Foshan wide range of issues including social welfare, educa­ tion, youth entrepreneurship, technology, infrastruc­ ture and culture. Macao has a history of more than 400 years as a 37.7 bridge between the West and the East. The integration 18-25 Unit: $ billion of Chinese and Western cultures in the city has made it EXPORTS UTILIZED FDI Dongguan 758 a well­known tourist destination around the world. 8.34 Dongguan Last year, it received more than 35.8 million visitors. For historical reasons, Macao has deep links with Portuguese­speaking countries. Lam Cheuk­wah, AGES OF president of the Macao Innovation Development TALENT Hong Kong 530.44 Research Association, told Xinhua News Agency that FLOWING Huizhou 383 as economic and trade ties between China and those 4.78 Huizhou INTO AREA 25.1 110.73 Hong Kong countries grow closer, Macao has natural advantages 26-30 FROM OTHER Macao in terms of language use and business environment to PARTS OF promote closer cooperation. Guangzhou 1.51 CHINA 345 The outline development plan included nine specific 3.26 84.74 Zhongshan Zhongshan measures to build Macao into a hub for commerce and Unit: percent trade cooperation between China and Portuguese­ Shenzhen Macao speaking countries, including establishing or improving 245.94 16.1 0.3753 Guangzhou Jiangmen 269 its financial service platform, cultural exchange center, 4.56 Jiangmen 31-35 6.611 Foshan Shenzhen youth innovation and entrepreneurship exchange cen­ 8.203 ter, and economic and trade cooperation forum. 53.30 Foshan 9.2 Dongguan 0.691 Dongguan Mi Jian, the Macao Special Administrative Region 36-40 5.6 Huizhou 120.22 1.361 Huizhou Zhuhai government’s director of policy studies and regional Zhuhai 256 1.77 41-45 6.3 Zhongshan 0.959 Zhongshan development, said Macao can be a “window” and 33.38 Above Jiangmen Jiangmen 27.23 0.527 “bridge” connecting China to the world. As a node city 46 Zhuhai 16.97 0.734 Zhuhai of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, it has a special Zhaoqing Zhaoqing 28.52 2.391 Zhaoqing 4.12 Zhaoqing 3.59 0.143 220 role in promoting mutual understanding between the East and the West. Source: Hong Kong SAR government, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Macao Census and Statistics Service MUKESH MOHANAN / CHINA DAILY