China's State Council has approved a cross-border industrial park between the Macao Special Administrative Region and neighboring Zhuhai in Guangdong Province, the Macao Information Office disclosed Wednesday (Dec. 3rd).

The office said that Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday told Macao's Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah, who is on a three-day duty visit to Beijing, that the State Council had just approved the park plan.

Ho said that a launching ceremony would be held during a visit to Macao by Huang Huahua, governor of Guangdong Province, on Dec. 8.

Macao hopes the 25sqkm industrial park will help it overcome its geographic limitations and develop more diversified industries.

A feasibility report on the industrial park shows that the park will be built on 400,000 square meters of reclaimed seashore. Half the land reclamation area will be in Zhuhai and half in Macao, separated by water. A bridge will link the two areas.

The park is designed as a bonded zone with the advantage of cheap labor and Macao's facilitated trade access to the mainland as well as the markets in America and Europe.

The Macao Secretariat for Economics and Finance said it had received inquiries from overseas manufacturers about setting up in the park, which is most suitable for textiles, garments and electronics.

Editor: Donald

Picture source: Chinanews.com.cn/Macao Daily