Leaders from Guangdong province and Macao met in Beijing today to exchange views on enhancing collaboration and consensus to jointly strive for more special preferential policies from the Central Government. The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, met with the Secretary of the Guangdong CPC Provincial Committee, Mr Hu Chunhua, and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhu Xiaodan, after he attended the opening session of the First Plenary Session of the Twelfth National People's Congress, which opened today. Mr Hu said he met Mr Chui several times after he had been in the new post for two months, and that close communication was very important to facilitate co-operation between the two places. He described the co-operative relationship between Guangdong and Macao as "excellent" and said his government would continue to support the Macao Government. He also pledged that the new campus of the University of Macau (UM) on Hengqin Island would be completed on time. Mr Chui said he was informed that the campus would be completed at the end of March and students might enjoy the new environment in this coming new academic year, after UM could move its entire campus to Hengqin at the end of September. He thanked the Guangdong leaders for having given great support in building UM new campus: over a period of time, these two places had jointly strived for a series of policies and measures which were favourable for co-operation from the Central Government. Based on a good foundation, Guangdong and Macao would jointly strive for more favorable policies to further boost collaboration, which would include actively participating in the development of Hengqin Island in Zhuhai and Nansha in Guangzhou according to the Outline Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta, said the Chief Executive. In addition to Hengqin, he highlighted that there was huge potential in the development of Nansha, which might bring good opportunities for regional development of Guangdong and Macao. Moreover, these special preferential policies also included extending opening hours and to implement a new model of management at the new gateway between Macao and Hengqin Island. The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Tam Pak Yuen, the Chief-of-Cabinet of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Tam Chun Weng, the Secretary-General of the Executive Council, Ms O Lam, the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping and the Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Ms Zhao Yufang also attended the meeting.
