The 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30) represents a critical stage in which China will consolidate the substantial achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), intensify efforts across the board, and largely realize socialist modernization.

As Macao pursues its own economic diversification and actively integrates into the country's overall development, a major challenge before us is to better harness its unique strengths, align with national priorities, support the establishment of a high-standard open economic system, and foster more coordinated regional development.

We have just celebrated the 26th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland in December, and ushered in the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Since its return, Macao has made steady progress in economic diversification, substantially raised living standards, and strengthened its residents' sense of fulfillment and belonging.

Its global profile and influence have also grown significantly, a clear testament to the enduring vitality and institutional strength of the "one country, two systems" principle.

Guided by the motivating and morale-boosting spirit of President Xi Jinping's important speech, made during his inspection tour of Macao, we will focus on advancing regulatory alignment and institutional connectivity, strengthen collaborative legislation, break down systemic barriers, and inject strong momentum into the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

This will integrate the practice of "patriots administering Macao" deeply into Greater Bay Area governance, expand opportunities for youth development, and write a new chapter in regional coordination and open development.

The development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin is strategically positioned to serve the dual objectives of promoting Macao's economic diversification and facilitating the daily lives and employment of Macao residents.

To achieve this, it is essential to harness the complementary strengths of both regions, dismantle institutional and systemic barriers, and enable the efficient flow of resources and production factors. This requires the creation of a high-quality, efficient, transparent and predictable legal and regulatory environment through institutional innovation and system-building.

By aligning rules and integrating mechanisms, the aim is to establish an open economic system that is compatible with Macao and internationally aligned. At its core, the construction of the cooperation zone hinges on institutional innovation, with strengthened Guangdong-Macao collaborative legislation serving as the key to breaking down institutional barriers.

Since its establishment in September 2021, the cooperation zone has focused on addressing bottlenecks, challenges, and obstacles in key areas such as industrial development, social integration, customs supervision and tax coordination. Drawing on best practices from the mainland, Macao, and internationally, the cooperation zone has rolled out a list of 306 initiatives for regulatory alignment and reform.

Through targeted, small-scale legislative measures, these efforts aim to tackle larger systemic issues and facilitate smoother development for Macao residents, enterprises, and capital in the zone.

For example, to overcome barriers to cross-border professional practice, regulations have been introduced allowing Macao professionals in fields such as healthcare and construction to work in Hengqin. To date, over 1,600 professionals from Hong Kong and Macao have obtained practice qualifications in the zone.

Moving forward, collaborative legislation should be guided by the functional positioning and development goals of the cooperation zone.

Starting from the demand side — addressing the zone's need for coherent rules and systems — and strengthening the supply side of institutional design, efforts should leverage the advantages of multiple legislative bodies, particularly by making full use of Zhuhai's special economic zone legislative authority.

Guided by the needs of Hengqin and Macao residents, the demands of enterprises, and the requirement of practical applications, and grounded in the principle of respecting systemic differences while achieving effective regulatory integration, the aim is to develop more pragmatic and actionable measures for alignment. This will accelerate the connectivity in institutional mechanisms and rules.

The strategic objective behind developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is to foster complementary strengths and mutually beneficial cooperation, fully leveraging the institutional advantages of "one country, two systems", or the unique strengths of Hong Kong and Macao, and Guangdong's pioneering role in reform and opening-up.

This will further establish a win-win regional partnership among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, driving coordinated regional economic growth. As a new frontier in advancing the Greater Bay Area's development, the cooperation zone bears the foundational mission of promoting Macao's economic diversification and facilitating the lives and employment of Macao residents.

To this end, it is essential to fully harness the comparative advantages of all regions involved, strengthen industrial policy coordination and planning alignment, optimize regional functional layouts, and innovate and refine policy measures to advance the integrated development of Hengqin and Macao.

The cooperation zone has introduced industrial development plans that prioritize key sectors such as traditional Chinese medicine and high-tech industries. Seven enterprises and 18 products have already received certification, propelling the formation of a cross-border industrial ecosystem centered on "Macao drugs, Hengqin production". This demonstrates a promising start for the synergy between industrial policies and development mechanisms.

By harmonizing regulations with policy coordination across the Greater Bay Area, we will achieve greater rule alignment in key sectors such as bio-medicine, technology R&D, culture and tourism, conventions and exhibitions, and modern finance. This will facilitate the free cross-border flow of resources and factors of production, injecting fresh momentum into the coordinated industrial development of the Greater Bay Area.

Over the past 26 years, one of the key factors behind the successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle with Macao characteristics has been the steadfast adherence to the principle of "patriots administering Macao".

Equally important has been the continuous cultivation of a "love for the motherland and Macao" ethos among the younger generation, strengthening their sense of national identity and belonging, and encouraging their active and conscious participation in integrating into the country's development agenda — particularly in the development of the Greater Bay Area and the cooperation zone.

This forms the vital driving force ensuring the sustained practice of "one country, two systems" and the long-term prosperity of Macao.

President Xi emphasized that young people are the hope and future of Macao, and a vital force in building both the city and the country.

The Macao SAR government has extended 78 public services to Hengqin, achieving cross-border integration in social welfare and governance. From extending education allowances for Macao residents' children to operating cross-border school buses serving 27 Macao schools, the harmonization of rules has enhanced the sense of fulfillment in the dual-city lifestyle.

Standing at the historical starting point of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Guangdong-Macao cooperation is advancing with institutional innovation at its core, driven by technological and industrial innovation, supported by regulatory alignment, and linked by the active participation of Macao's younger generation in employment and entrepreneurship.

Guided by the goals of enhancing regional coordinated development and contributing to the country's high-standard opening-up, Guangdong and Macao are pooling their strengths to better connect domestic and international dynamics and sharpen their competitive edge through opening-up.

Looking ahead, as collaborative legislation deepens and rule alignment continues to improve, Guangdong and Macao will further leverage the institutional strengths of "one country, two systems".

Together, they will develop the cooperation zone into a strategic hub for Greater Bay Area integration, providing stronger support for the implementation of national strategies.

The author is a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, and vice-chairman of the Macao Chamber of Commerce.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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