Macao deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) have attached great importance to the construction and development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin during the ongoing two sessions.

Liu Yiliang, head of the Macao NPC delegation and chairman of the Macao Region China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, advised that pilot operation of innovative reforms in inspection and quarantine systems be carried out in Hengqin. Currently, quarantine and inspection measures related to animal and plant products are implemented in the "first-line" (Hengqin Island-Macao) area, making it impossible for Macao residents to bring daily goods like boxed meals, fruit, eggs, and meat when traveling to Hengqin.

He also focused on issues related to the cooperation zone's "first-line" and "second-line" (Hengqin Island-the Chinese Mainland) customs surveillance, such as exemption of value-added and consumption taxes for retail duty-free goods sold to individual customers.

Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin [Photo by Zeng Yao / Zhuhai Daily]

The optimization of the Hengqin-Macao cooperative legislation and consultation mechanism was highlighted in the proposal submitted by Huang Xianhui, a national political adviser and Macao legislator.

Huang suggested that expert committees and consultant groups formed by scholars, professionals, and from Guangdong and Macao should be established to integrate legal talents and resources in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Private associations and the public are also encouraged to participate in law popularization and education activities.

According to CPPCC National Committee member and president of Macao Golden Dragon Group Chen Mingjin, the development of Macao and Zhuhai now demands more transportation support as capacity of Zhuhai railways is getting saturated. The average annual growth rate of railway passenger throughput in Zhuhai was 17.2 percent in the past six years.

Chen proposed that construction of the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Intercity Railway, as well as the Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao), Zhuhai-Zhaoqing, and Macao-Zhanjiang high-speed railways be accelerated, while direct railways running between Shenzhen and Zhuhai be built as soon as possible.

He also proposed building a ring-like rail transit network connecting Zhuhai and Macao to help the two regions integrate into the "one-hour circle" of the GBA. 

In addition, NPC deputy and member of the Macao Legislative Council Shi Jialun submitted a motion covering pressing issues, such as further relaxing endorsements to visit Macao, the revival of the tourism industry, as well as supporting preferential policies for industries like traditional Chinese medicine, modern finance, innovative technology, and conventions and exhibitions.