Original title: Zhang Yan, Regional Development Strategy Center of the National Development and Reform Commission: Guangdong and Macao to discuss, build, manage and share is a major highlight of Hengqin and will become a highland of investment, innovation, freedom and openness
There is a lot of room for imagination to explore a better system connection in Guangdong-Macao cooperation, as a model for the new practice of “one country, two systems”.
On September 5, the “Overall Plan for the Construction of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone” (referred to as the “Overall Plan”) issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council was announced.
Hengqin is located at the southern end of Zhuhai, separated from Macau by one river and one bridge. It has obvious geographical advantages. Since its development and construction in 2009, Hengqin has successively won the free trade zone and international leisure tourism island policy blessings. Now it welcomes the special policies of the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone. , The characteristics of serving Macau will be further highlighted.
The “Overall Plan” clarifies that Hengqin, which has a total area of 106 square kilometers, shall be classified and managed in different areas. Among them, the Hengqin campus of the University of Macau and the Macau jurisdiction of the Hengqin port are managed by the Macao Special Administrative Region government authorized by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and the relevant systems and regulations of Macao are applied, and they are separated from other regions by physical fences; Guangdong and Macao have discussed and jointly managed The sharing area adopts electronic fence supervision and catalogue list methods, and implements special policies for eligible market entities.
How to view this new system of consultation, co-construction, co-management and sharing? How do you view the “Overall Plan” series deployment? A reporter from the 21st Century Business Herald interviewed Zhang Yan, the head of the Strategy Department of the Regional Development Strategy Center of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Zhang Yan stated that the central government empowers Hengqin to be jointly managed by Guangdong and Macau, and it is clear that the main person in charge of the executive committee shall be appointed by Macau. The determination and strength of the single issue of Macao’s economic structure is a major highlight of institutional innovation.
Zhang Yan believes that Hengqin will be a vibrant island, a leisure and livable tourist island, a new highland for innovation, investment, and business development. It is also a free and open highland connecting Macau and the world. It will also explore more in Guangdong-Macao cooperation. The new practice model of “one country, two systems” with good system connection.
Macau’s advantages can be further extended to Hengqin
“21st Century”: How do you view the introduction of the “Overall Plan for the Construction of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone”? What does this mean for Macau?
Zhang Yan: Hengqin is close to Macau and connects with Macau bridges and tunnels. It has inherent geographical conditions. Since the development and construction of Hengqin in 2009, it has successively established a pilot free trade zone and an international leisure tourism island policy. To the present Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone, it has been cooperating closely with Macau from beginning to end.
The promulgation of the overall plan for the construction of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone is, first of all, a great affirmation of the achievements that Hengqin has achieved over the past ten years of development and construction, and the deepening of the original intention of creating conditions for the diversified development of Macao’s industry.
The second is an important measure to support Macao’s integration into the overall development of the motherland. The national “14th Five-Year Plan” outline has a special chapter to support the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao and support Hong Kong and Macao’s integration into the overall development of the motherland. The construction of the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone is an important manifestation and measure of supporting Macao’s accelerating integration into the new development pattern of the country.
The third is a major move to enrich the new practice of “one country, two systems”. Through the construction of the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone, greater efforts will be made to break the constraints of the system and mechanism between Guangdong and Macao, and promote the free flow of factors, so as to promote better cohesion of policies, rules and systems.
For Macau, the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone will inject impetus into the long-term prosperity and stability of Macau, and Macau will open a new chapter. The area of Hengqin Island is three times that of Macau. It will provide more space for the development of Macau’s industry, cultivate new impetus for industry, investment and consumption, and expand the employment and living space of Macau residents. Macau will strengthen exchanges with the mainland. Rely on. Macau is an important platform for economic and trade cooperation between Portuguese-speaking countries and a world tourism and leisure center. It also has certain basic conditions for scientific and technological innovation. Macau’s advantages have more room for expansion.
For Zhuhai, Guangdong, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Zhuhai-Macau will be an important growth pole for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Hengqin Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone is conducive to driving the development of the west bank of the Pearl River and complementing the shortcomings in scientific research and development, industrial development, and opening up to the outside world on the west bank of the Pearl River. Through consultation, joint construction, co-management and sharing of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone, it will explore the new practice of “one country, two systems” and provide experience demonstrations for the cooperation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It is a test ground for policies and systems in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
New demonstration of enriching the practice of “One Country, Two Systems”
“21st Century”: The Cooperation Zone Management Committee implements a dual director system, which is jointly assumed by the Governor of Guangdong and the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region; the main person in charge of the Executive Committee is appointed by the Macao Special Administrative Region Government. How to view this new system of consultation, joint construction, co-management and sharing?
Zhang Yan: The “Overall Plan” clarifies that under the leadership of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Construction Leading Group, Guangdong and Macao will jointly form a cooperation zone management committee to make overall decisions on major plans, major policies, major projects and important aspects of the cooperation zone within the scope of their powers. Personnel appointment and removal. The executive committee is set up under the management committee of the cooperation zone, which performs the functions of international promotion, investment promotion, industry introduction, land development, project construction, and people’s livelihood management of the cooperation zone.
The central government empowers Hengqin to be handed over to Guangdong and Macau for joint construction, joint management and sharing, and it is clear that the main person in charge of the executive committee shall be appointed by Macau.
This is the top-level design of the Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Zone in terms of development management and implementation. It reflects the determination and strength of the central government to solve the single problem of Macao’s economic structure. It is a major institutional innovation and guarantee for the construction of the cooperation zone. High-standard management, stronger execution, and greater profit sharing have formed a strong joint force between Guangdong and Macao in promoting the construction of the cooperation zone, ensuring that the development and construction of Hengqin will achieve new breakthroughs and achieve new leaps.
Under the background of “one country, two systems”, such a new system is a brand-new initiative. The different systems and operating methods of Guangdong and Macao are blended in Hengqin to promote the convergence of policies, rules, and systems between the two places, which enriches the practice of “one country, two systems”. New demonstration of
Promote the moderately diversified development of Macao’s economy
“21st Century”: According to the “Overall Plan”, Hengqin will develop new industries that promote the moderately diversified economy of Macau, including technological research and development, high-end manufacturing, Chinese medicine, cultural tourism, exhibition and trade, modern finance, etc., and clearly conducive to the moderate economy of Macau For diversified industries, a 15% corporate income tax rate reduction applies to all industries. Why choose these industries? Is there a corresponding standard for “moderate diversity”?
Zhang Yan: Macau’s industrial structure is relatively simple. To promote its stable and prosperous development, it needs to expand and develop new technologies, new industries, new business forms, and new models.
The industries mentioned in the “Overall Plan” fully consider the existing industrial base and industrial advantages of Hengqin and Macau, as well as the division of labor in the Greater Bay Area.
Such as traditional Chinese medicine, cultural tourism, commerce, and exhibitions are Macao’s characteristic advantageous industries. The University of Macau and the Macau University of Science and Technology have strong scientific research capabilities. Macau wants to build a world tourism and leisure center, Hengqin itself is an international leisure tourism island, and the two parties will cooperate in the future. Macau is an economic, trade and financial platform for Portuguese-speaking countries. In the future, it will promote the digital transformation of traditional trade, build a Sino-Portuguese international trade center and an international hub port for digital trade, and build a China-Portuguese-speaking country financial service platform. However, Macau’s original manufacturing base was weak. In the future, it will actively promote the development of integrated circuits, electronic components, new materials, new energy, big data, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, biomedicine and other industries to form a diversified industrial structure system.
Of course, Hengqin has limited space and cannot pursue a large and comprehensive industry. The “Overall Plan” clarifies that the National Development and Reform Commission and relevant departments will study and formulate a catalog of encouraged industries in the cooperation zone.
The 15% corporate income tax arrangement is the most favorable policy for mainland China. The purpose is to attract more encouraged industrial enterprises and attract domestic and foreign investors to invest here. In addition to attracting enterprises, capital, technology, etc., talents must also be attracted to Hengqin. The “Overall Plan” clarifies that for domestic and foreign high-end talents and talents in short supply, the portion of the personal tax exceeding 15% will be exempted.
Employment, education, medical care and Macau further link up
“21st Century”: The cooperation zone will also be a new home to facilitate the life and employment of Macao residents. Macao residents who work in the cooperation zone in the future will be exempted from the part of their personal income tax burden that exceeds Macao’s tax burden. How to treat this arrangement? What construction needs to be strengthened to build a “new home”?
Zhang Yan: The individual tax policy is the same as that of Macau, and the policy is very strong. This dispels the worry of Macau residents coming to Hengqin to start a business and employment, and eliminates the disjointness of the individual tax system between the two places to the greatest extent.
To create a new home for the life and employment of Macao residents involves all aspects of people’s livelihood issues, including customs clearance, medical care, payment, and communications.
There are many related deployments in the “Overall Plan”, such as speeding up the construction of a dedicated passage between the Hengqin campus of the University of Macau and the Hengqin port, and exploring the construction of a new intelligent port between the Hengqin campus of the University of Macau and the cooperation area, which is highly convenient for the University of Macau Teachers and students enter and exit the cooperation area. Support Macao’s medical and health service providers to set up medical institutions in the form of sole proprietorship, joint venture or cooperation, and gather international and professional medical service resources. Research supports Guangdong and Macao to jointly build regional medical complexes and regional medical centers.
To truly build a new home for the life and employment of Macao residents, Hengqin must strengthen infrastructure, accelerate the construction of “Macao New Neighborhood”, improve port management, promote customs clearance, and strengthen cooperation in public services such as education, medical care, and social security. Macau convergence.
A free and open highland connecting Macau with the world
“21st Century”: Hengqin wants to build a new high-level and open system integrated with Macau. The “first-line” of goods is released and the “second-line” is managed; the “first-line” of personnel facilitates customs clearance, and the “second-line” does not impose restrictions, and it is necessary to explore the free inflow and outflow of cross-border capital and promote the convertibility of capital projects in the cooperation zone. How to treat these arrangements?
Zhang Yan: Macau is a highly free and open economy. The original intention of building the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone is for the diversified economic development of Macao. It is to realize the connection between Hengqin and Macao’s various systems through policy innovation and mechanism reform in the two places, and to connect the world with Macao to build a more free, convenient, and A higher level of open institutional mechanisms.
The high-level opening of Hengqin requires the free flow of personnel, technology, capital, data and other elements. Like the “first line” of goods being released and the “second line” under control, Hengqin is equivalent to “international customs”, which can promote trade facilitation to a greater extent; at the same time, there are no restrictions on the movement of people with the mainland, which can promote personnel exchanges . In terms of finance, strengthen the linkage between the financial market in the cooperation zone and the offshore financial markets of Macau and Hong Kong, and explore the construction of an electronic fence system. In terms of market access, the implementation of the promised entry system, and the strict implementation of “non-prohibited entry”. In terms of data, it is necessary to promote the safe and orderly flow of international Internet data across borders.
Hengqin builds an open system in order to better connect with the international market and stimulate greater vitality and potential, rather than a safe haven for evading supervision. With the opening of institutional mechanisms, follow-up supervision must keep up. It is predictable that the central ministries and commissions and Guangdong and Macao will introduce a series of policies to promote the detailed implementation of the plan. The Hengqin Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone has a lot of room for imagination, and various institutional innovations will be promoted steadily, solidly, orderly and effectively.
(Author: Zhou Xiaoxiao, Zhao Zijian Editor: Li Bo)
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