From November 25 to 26, 2019, Zhou Xiaochuan, Vice Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), led the Joint Research Group on “Moderate Economic Diversification of Macao and Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” to visit Hengqin, Zhuhai to do survey and research. Li Ruogu, project convener & lead expert of the Joint Research Group and President of China International Economic Relations Association (CIERA), Li Baodong, Secretary-General of BFA & President of BFA Academy, Zhang Xiaohui, deputy leader of the expert panel of the Joint Research Group and Dean of Tsinghua PBCSF, and others joined the survey and research. Director Fu Ziying and Deputy Director Yao Jian of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao S.A.R. were present at the survey and research activities.

At a time when Macao is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland, the Joint Research Group was specially set up by BFA Academy together with CIERA and Tsinghua PBCSF in response to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Greater Bay Area), an initiative personally planned, deployed and promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the Central Government’s decision on moderately diversifying Macao’s economy. During this survey and research, in roundtables and field visits, the Joint Research Group carried out in-depth exchanges and discussions with officials of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao and relevant government agencies of Guangdong Province, Zhuhai City and Macao SAR, and representatives of the business, financial and academic communities from the mainland and Macao as well as entrepreneurial teams from the Hengqin Industrial Park on the path design and policy options for promoting an appropriate level of economic diversifation of Macao and fostering complementarity between Macao and the Greater Bay Area.

Vice Chairman Zhou and all members of the Joint Research Group also visited the Hengqin Construction Planning Exhibition Hall, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao (GMTCM Park) and the Inno Valley HQ by invitation.