Co-hosted by All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA) and Macao Chamber of Commerce, the 15th Cross-Strait, Hong Kong and Macao Economic and Trade Forum & Business Summit on Facilitating the Development of the Greater Bay Area were held on 26 August, 2021. With the theme of “Promoting Technological Innovation and Cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Building a New Dual-Circulation Development Paradigm”, the conference was held both offline and online, with venues in Beijing, Guangdong, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. Gao Yunlong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chairman of ACFIC, Xu Xianrong, president of Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CMA president Shi Lop-tak, Ma Youli, president of Macao Chamber of Commerce, and Huang Ningsheng, the leader of Guangdong Province and the president of Guangdong Overseas Friendship Association, addressed the conference which was presided over by Xu Lejiang, executive vice chairman of ACFIC.

Gao Yunlong stressed that on the journey of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, all the Chinese people should unite as one, work hard together to move forward, which was also the bounden duty of the business communities, especially chambers of commerce, in both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao. We should encourage business people to participate in the development in the new era, seize development opportunities so as to create new glory. First, we should work together to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. National rejuvenation has created a great historic opportunity for the prosperous development of the business communities, which also needs the concerted efforts of the business communities. It is hoped that the business communities of both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao will continue to strengthen cooperation, pool greater wisdom and power, and work together to realize the Chinese dream while integrating themselves into the overall development paradigm of the country. Second, we should be open to cooperation so as to build a grand stage for economic development together. China is implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for economic and social development and accelerating the establishment of a new development paradigm, which has provided broad space for the development of business communities across the Taiwan Strait and in Hong Kong and Macao. As an important region leading the two-way opening up at home and abroad and an important demonstration zone of high-quality development, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has unique conditions and advantages in building the new development paradigm. The business communities of both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao should remain open to cooperation, follow the trend, reach consensus, actively engage in entrepreneurship, innovation and cooperation for development, and give full play to their talents in this land of promise so as to jointly build a broader stage for development. Third, we should draw on each other’s strengths and seize the new opportunity of the scientific and technological revolution. As a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is restructuring the global innovation map and reshaping the global economic structure, all countries are actively occupying the commanding heights of a new round of development. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao have their respective strengths in scientific and technological innovation, and there is much to be achieved through exchanges and cooperation. We should focus on integrating innovation resources and complementing each other’s advantages, win a more favorable position in the new round of scientific and technological competition, create new competitive advantages, and inject stronger impetus into regional economic and social development so as to lay a more solid foundation. It is hoped that the business communities of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao will further deepen exchanges and cooperation, promote the formation of a new paradigm of innovation-driven development in the Greater Bay Area featuring complementary functions and mutual benefit, and achieve new development of higher quality and higher standard.

Xu Lejiang pointed out that through the forum we had actively exchanged ideas on hot topics in the economic and trade fields and provided many useful methods and propositions for the business communities of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao to deepen exchanges and promote mutually-beneficial cooperation. China has successfully achieved the first centenary goal, and is speeding up the formation of a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. The development of the Greater Bay Area will provide broader development space for the communities of both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao to deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation. We hope that they will further join hands to share opportunities and achieve common development by strengthening economic and trade exchanges and cooperation.

Xu Xianrong said that 40 years of close exchanges had proved that industrial cooperation was the best way for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao to enhance their economic competitiveness and improve people’s well-being, and they had already established close industrial cooperation. Cooperation in scientific and technological innovation is not only an important task in the future, but also requires cross-regional cooperation. Both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao are highly complementary to each other, and their cooperation with other countries and regions in science, technology and industry will contribute to global technological progress and economic development.

Shi Lop-tak said that since the reform and opening up, the business communities of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan had actively played the role of “pioneers” and made their own contributions. At the same time, they have benefited from various opportunities brought by the rapid economic growth of the mainland. The development of the Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative is the best breakthrough point for Hong Kong’s business community to integrate into the “dual circulations” development and make the regional economy bigger and stronger. As long as we can strengthen cooperation and better complement each other’s advantages, we will have a good chance to develop into a national innovation center and build a sound and stable industrial structure.

According to Ma Youli, Macao Chamber of Commerce have spared no effort to cooperate with Macao in formulating and implementing various innovative and technological development policies that are actively integrated into the overall development of the country, and have put forward many opinions and suggestions, which have been highly valued by all parties. He was convinced that through this forum, the business communities of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao could make good use of various preferential polities granted by the country to the Greater Bay Area, give full play to their own advantages, achieve connectivity and sustainable development, promote the reform and opening up of the Greater Bay Area to a higher level, and help build the new “dual circulation” development paradigm.

Huang Ningsheng delivered a speech on behalf of Guangdong Province. He said that entrepreneurs were an important force in the development of the Greater Bay Area. Guangdong will resolutely implement the country’s major decisions and arrangements on the development of the Greater Bay Area, meet the standards and requirements of the world-class Bay Area, and strive to create a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment, so as to provide the best service and create the broadest development space for all people who come to invest, travel, study and live in the mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area.

Hu Jun, dean of Jinan University’s Institute of the Belt and Road and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Wang Pingsheng, honorary chairman of Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, honorary president of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland and president of Agio, Qiu Tenghua, director of the Bureau of Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong SAR Government, Ye Guiping, associate vice president of City University of Macau and head of Socioeconomic Development Research Center, made keynote speeches on “opportunities brought by the new development paradigm to the Greater Bay Area”. Representatives of leading enterprises and business associations form the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao exchanged their views respectively on “promoting the industrial and technological innovation in the Greater Bay Area to enable high-quality development” and “new efforts of business associations to help enterprises improve the stability and competitiveness of industrial chain and supply chain under the new development paradigm”.

Young Entrepreneurs Dialogue was added to the forum for the first time. At the meeting, 8 young entrepreneurs from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao shared their feelings and suggestions on the environment and policies of the technological innovation of the Greater Bay Area under the new development paradigm, and discussed how enterprises could strengthen cooperation and promote development in technological innovation and talent development.

The meeting also held Nansha Business Environment Promotion Conference & Project Signing Ceremony, with 10 major projects in Hong Kong and Macao signed, involving a total investment of 4.9 billion yuan and covering the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cooperation platform, advanced manufacturing industries such as jewelry, drink and food, food processing and display screens, headquarters economy and urban new consumption, technological innovation and other fields.

The meeting was also attended by Qiu Xiaoping, vice chairman of ACFIC, Yang Wunan, convener of the Board of Supervisors of Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, leaders from Nansha District, Guanghzou City, Guangdong Province, leaders from Hong Kong, and representatives of entrepreneurs form both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao.

Established in 1994, the Cross-Strait, Hong Kong, Macao Economic and Trade Forum serves as an important platform for deepening exchanges and cooperation among the business communities of the both sides of the Taiwan Straits, Hong Kong and Macao. The Forum is held every two years alternately on the mainland and in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and has been held for 14 sessions so far.