Background of the Guangdong–Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin

AbstractSince the handover of Macao, its economy has grown rapidly under the success and advantages of the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ policy. However, gaming is the single most crucial income source of Macao’s economy, and the progress of Macao’s economic diversification has been limited by its geographic and demographic limitations. The ‘Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area’ is a national strategic development plan that included Macao as one of the key cities to help develop the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and helped Macao break through its development bottleneck. As the ‘Hengqin Overall Development Plan’ released in 2009, Hengqin has developed rapidly, with increasing population growth which transformed itself from a small town to a developed city with comprehensive infrastructure, high-rise buildings and supporting utilities. Later in 2021, the ‘General Plan for Construction of the Guangdong–Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin’ was released to lay out the foundation and goals of utilising Hengqin to supplement Macao in incorporating into the strategic development of the GBA. Both Hengqin and Macao would benefit mutually via in-depth strategic cooperation at a national level. However, this opportunity also comes with various challenges to overcome.