Leung Chun-ying: action on the Greater Bay Area of utmost importance

2018-Nov-29       Source: Newsgd.com

“Since the development of the Greater Bay Area has been underway for a year, we have achieved certain things. I’m confident about the future development of the Greater Bay Area. ” Leung Chun-ying, vic
.

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairmen of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former chief executive of Hong Kong SAR, accepted Nanfang Media Group’s exclusive interview. (Photo by Zhang Chengping from Southcn.com)

“Since the development of the Greater Bay Area has been underway for a year, we have achieved certain things. I’m confident about the future development of the Greater Bay Area. ”

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairmen of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former chief executive of Hong Kong SAR, accepted Nanfang Media Group’s exclusive interview and talked about his thoughts on the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, during his participation of 2018 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation Forum in Qingyuan.

As an early participant in the process of China’s reform and opening up, Leung now still actively responds to the country’s call for a deepening of reform and opening-up.

Planning: Tang Lina, He Jingwen, Wu Zhe, Zhang Ying

Reporters: He Jingwen, Lu Fei, Hu Nan

Photography: Zhang Chengping

Film-editor: Yao Zhihao

English editor: Simon Haywood


West Kowloon Station a strong proof of “one country, two system”

Nanfang Media: How do you think we can put the “one country, two system” principle into practice in the process of realizing the Greater Bay area?

Leung: Last week when President Xi Jinping met with a delegation from Hong Kong and Macao, he voiced the hope that Hong Kong and Macao will continue participating in the reform and opening-up of the whole nation with a pioneering spirit. I think it effectively summarized the contributions that Hong Kong and Macao have made and will continue making to the country.

Whilst the 11 cities in the Area are in the same country, 9 are on the mainland with Hong Kong, Macao having different systems, and a total of three different custom administration processes. Thus the exchange of talent, materials, capital and information throughout the 11 cities is not so frequent as in either the Tokyo or San Francisco Bay Areas.

I think we can take full advantage of certain important infrastructure projects including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Rail, and make it easier to live and work between the 2 SARs and 9 cities in Guangdong.

These all have great relations with innovation in procedures and technology as well as policy. The “one country, two system” principle is ingenious and dynamic. For instance, the fact that passengers can undergo inspection for both the mainland and Hong Kong in West Kowloon Station is a strong proof of the dynamism of the principle. Hong Kong and Macao implement different systems, and they are highly internationalized. This is one of the characteristics of the Area, and also an impetus for the cities in the Area to develop together.


Enhance the exchange at all levels and in different aspects

Nanfang Media: How to promote cooperation and exchange between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao?

Leung: Since the development of the Area has been underway for a year now, we have achieved certain things. I think this relies on one important fact, that Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, have all realized that the development of the Greater Bay Area can bring many opportunities; in particular to Hong Kong. This fact been socially and politically accepted. Hong Kong, Macao and the nine Guangdong cities in the Area have planned the development together. Therefore, I think a consensus has been formed in society, and this is a very important base.

We should enhance the exchange between Hong Kong and the mainland, at all levels and in different aspects, including governmental officials, government to company, company to company, and people to people exchange. This is especially applicable to the nine cities within Guangdong.

No matter what we do and how many policies we implement finally, if we want these to spur social and economic development, we also need the participation of professionals from enterprises and scholars from universities and institutes both in Hong Kong and the mainland. In a word, we should act on our dreams. Action is of the utmost importance.

I invited many colleagues from Hong Kong to the 2018 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation Forum in Qingyuan, including experts and professionals such as the chairman of the Hong Kong Coalition of Professional Services, and the President of the Small and Medium Law Firms Association of Hong Kong.

On this occasion I also invited a total of 100 principals, vice principals and teachers from Hong Kong to the mainland. As a next step I’ll organize for around 10,000 students from 100 middle schools in Hong Kong to come to Guangdong. I want to let them get to know the 9 Guangdong cities in the Area, and many other cities in the mainland. This is where their opportunity for development in future lies. The bigger the space they have, the more potential for development there is.


    全国政协副主席、香港特别行政区前行政长官梁振英在国家改革开放之初就积极参与国家建设,是改革开放40年和粤港澳合作的重要亲历者和见证者。多年来,他在不同岗位上,为保持香港繁荣稳定、为香港融入国家发展大局、促进粤港澳合作做了大量推进工作。在卸任香港特别行政区行政长官、就任全国政协副主席一职后,梁振英先生依然心系港澳与内地发展,不遗余力地推动各方共同建设好粤港澳大湾区。近日,在参加由广东省粤港澳合作促进会主办的2018粤港澳合作论坛时,梁振英接受了南方报业传媒集团记者的独家专访,畅谈粤港澳大湾区建设。

  谈到“一国两制”在粤港澳大湾区的实践,梁振英表示,习近平主席会见港澳各界庆祝改革开放40周年访问团时,特别提到粤港澳大湾区11个城市的差异与优势。梁振英表示,在中央关怀支持下,相信粤港澳大湾区11个城市一定能够发挥“一国两制”的创造力和生命力,从制度上、技术上、政策上积极创新,让生活和生产要素在11个城市之间更便捷地流通,推动粤港澳大湾区建设更好、更快发展。

  梁振英表示,港澳与内地应开展更多合作交流工作,如加强港澳与内地,尤其是港澳与珠三角九市各个层次、各个领域的交流。他多次提到“心动”“行动”这对词组:“对于粤港澳大湾区的前景,我们心动,然后我们要行动,行动才是最宝贵最扎实的。要用好粤港澳大湾区的相关政策、平台提供的机遇,让三地企业界和民众身体力行地参与其中,把‘心动’化为‘行动’,共同建设好粤港澳大湾区。”

  █发挥“一国两制”优势推动湾区建设

  记者:习近平主席在北京会见港澳各界庆祝改革开放40周年的访问团时,高度评价了港澳在改革开放中的重要作用。对此您如何看?

  梁振英:习近平主席总结了改革开放以来过去40年港澳同胞和社会各界人士发挥的六个方面作用,包括投资兴业的龙头作用、市场经济的示范作用、体制改革的助推作用、双向开放的桥梁作用、先行先试的试点作用以及城市管理的借鉴作用,并对港澳提出了要加积极主动助力国家全面开放、更加积极主动融入国家发展大局、更加积极主动参与国家治理实践、更加积极主动促进国际人文交流四点希望。

  我认为习近平主席的讲话高度概括了从过去到未来,港澳两个特别行政区在促进国家改革开放发展中已经做和可以做的贡献。

  记者:粤港澳大湾区建设启动一年来,“一国两制”在港澳的实践有哪些进展?

  梁振英:大湾区十一个城市同属一国,但内地九个城市与香港、澳门两个行政区施行不同的制度,这一点是两个特区与粤港澳大湾区珠三角九市的差异,也正是粤港澳大湾区能够结合不同制度优势的重要特点。怎样让人流、物流、资金流、信息流充分借助港珠澳大桥、广深港高铁等重大基础设施在粤港澳大湾区珠三角九市和香港、澳门两个特别行政区之间更便捷流通,都涉及到制度创新、技术创新、还有政策创新。我认为“一国两制”是有创造力和生命力的,也有很多创新的经验做法。如在广深港高铁香港西九龙站就已实现“一地两检”,方便旅客过境通关。在符合基本法规定的情况下,我们还有很多文章可以做,还要继续深化这方面的工作,让生活和生产要素在十一个城市之间更便捷地流通,加快推进粤港澳大湾区建设。

  █民心相通使未来发展更值得期盼

  记者:您认为怎样才可以更好地推动粤港澳合作?

  梁振英:我认为,香港、澳门在全面深化改革开放中还可以继续发挥更大作用。现在我们有一些具体工作应该做,如加强港澳与内地,尤其是与粤港澳大湾区珠三角九市之间各层次、不同方面的交流,包括政府人员之间的交流,政府和企业的交流,企业和企业的交流,还有民众与民众之间的交流。

  目前相对于粤港澳大湾区协同发展所提供的机遇而言,两地企业界、民众的交往力度还是不够。比如香港的研讨会、讲座、酒会等交流活动很多,但是粤港两地类似的活动,无论是香港来广东还是广东去香港都比较少。我们要推进粤港澳大湾区建设,就要加强三地的交流与沟通。我这次就动员、邀请香港的专业人士、香港专业联盟主席以及香港中小型律师行协会会长等共同到清远参加活动,与各界一起沟通交流。粤港澳大湾区相关政策的出台实施,到最后能够落实并转化为社会发展经济发展成果,需要社会企业界、专业界、学界的共同努力。用一句话来说,就是“我们心动,然后我们要行动”,行动才是最宝贵、最扎实的。

  记者:您认为粤港澳三地社会间的合作交流是否已达到“民心相通”?

  梁振英:过去一年来粤港澳大湾区建设取得了众多进展,其中很重要的一点就是粤港澳三地社会各界,尤其是香港各界,对粤港澳大湾区发展能给香港带来的机遇形成了共识,在社会认识上大家都接受香港与澳门、广东共建粤港澳大湾区。

  我认为这个共识非常重要,在这基础上我们可以谋划更多具体的合作内容,出台更多的政策措施促进大湾区的发展。总的来说,我对粤港澳大湾区未来发展充满信心。

  记者:如何在青年一代中加深这样的交流合作?

  梁振英:近日我带领大湾区香港中心及香港青识教育基金会组织的“大湾区校长老师专业发展考察团”来内地参访,参观了港珠澳大桥等重大基础设施,以及一些内地企业。行程给考察团成员留下深刻印象,他们积极分享了此次来粤考察的收获和建议。

  接下来,我准备组织大概100所香港的中学、约10000名中学生来广东参观,让他们进一步了解粤港澳大湾区珠三角九市以及其它的内地城市,让他们有机会深入了解未来发展的广阔空间,意识到空间越广就可以飞得越高、越远,有助于他们以后的事业有更好发展。

Editor: Nan

Scan to share on WeChat

Scan to follow us on WeChat

Related News

Home|About us|Contact us|Southcn.com

WWW.NEWSGD.COM. All rights reserved.

WWW.NEWSGD.COM. All rights reserved.|Registered number 020074| 粤公网安备 44010402000511号|ICP备案号粤B-20050235