Guangdong and Macao last December held a Joint Co-operation Conference where officials from both regions signed eight new cooperation agreements covering travel, Chinese medicine, culture, education, sports, urban planning, Zhuhai-Macao cooperation and an emergency reaction plan.

Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua and Chief Executive Edmund Ho of Macao SAR agreed to help Macao service business expand into Guangdong and to deepen the cooperation in residents' livelihood, service and trade, social affairs, cross-border infrastructure and customs and the Hengqing Island Project. Both regions will also strengthen mechanisms and foster co-operation in food safety and water supplies, the stability of the electricity supply and environmental protection.

Both sides will also promote co-operation in the convention and exhibition sector, tourism, logistics as well as Chinese medicinal and cultural industries. Macao will continue to fully utilize its role as the service platform for China and Portuguese-speaking countries and assist entrepreneurs in Guangdong and Macao to explore overseas markets.

Both regions will encourage co-operation between borders, speeding up the expansion of the Barrier Gate Frontier Checkpoint Building to be in line with the improvements made at the Hengqin border. The two sides will also continue construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and further develop Hengqin Island, thus providing favorable conditions for the effective linking of the Pearl River Delta inter-city railway net-work, Tai Ao Expressway with Macao's city rail and road networks.

Editor: Yan