Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong and Macau affairs has visited the Hengqin cooperation zone in Zhuhai as part of a drive to help the two special administrative regions align with the nation’s 15th five-year plan.
The four-day visit by Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), was his third trip to the Greater Bay Area this year.
During his trip from Monday to Thursday, Xia visited a university town, research institutes, and innovation and technology companies within the zone, which Macau and Zhuhai co-manage.
The office said on Thursday that Xia’s tour focused on “supporting Hong Kong and Macau in proactively aligning with the national 15th five-year plan”, which guides the country’s development from 2026 to 2030.
The office added that the visit also aimed to deepen the cities’ participation in the Greater Bay Area and better support them “in integrating into and serving China’s overall development strategy”.
Xia visited Macau International Airport’s new cargo terminal in Hengqin, which is expected to begin operations in 2027, with an estimated annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes, serving as a new logistics hub linking the two cities.
In the zone, the director visited three tertiary education institutions: the first phase of Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town, City University of Macau’s Advanced Research Institute (Hengqin), and the Macau University of Science and Technology Innovation Technology Research Institute.