Posted Mon, 2009-09-21 09:15 by Zhuhai Daily News

THE prospects, layout, industrial development, infrastructure, public service facilities, ecological environment, development and management pattern, safeguard measures and recent action plan for Hengqin Island were specified by Mayor Zhong Shijian at a press conference last Monday.
Hengqin Island, the largest of 146 Zhuhai islands, is connected to Macao by bridge. It received central government approval in mid-August to become the country’s third state-level strategic new area, after Pudong in Shanghai and Binhai in Tianjin.
“Accelerating the development and construction of Hengqin New Area is a major step to deepen co-operation between Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macao and to implement the Outline of the Plan for the Reform & Development of the Pearl River Delta,” said Mayor Zhong.
Covering 106sqkm —— three times the size of Macao, the island has a population of less than 8,000.
According to the Overall Development Plan of Hengqin, the island will have a population of 120,000 with per capita GDP hitting 120,000 yuan ($17,570) by 2015 and 280,000 with per capita GDP of 200,000 yuan ($29,283) by 2020.
Deng You, deputy secretary of the CPC Hengqin New Area, was quoted by China Daily as saying: “We are targeting investments from the world’s top 500 corporations. It will be a new stage for professionals from Hong Kong and Macao and the government will surely raise the threshold for talent to ensure the quality of human resources on the island.”
As a pilot project, it is expected to make breakthroughs in terms of border arrangements, financial co-operation, land management and social governance, he said.
Themed at co-operation, innovation and service, Hengqin is designated to become a demonstration zone for exploring innovative co-operation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, a pilot region for deepening reform, opening-up and technical innovation, and a new platform for promoting industrial upgrades in western-bank areas of the Pearl River Estuary.
Moreover, Hengqin is to be an “intelligent island” both knowledge-intensive and information-driven, an “open island” collaboratively linking Hong Kong and Macao, an “eco-island” balancing resources with the environment, and an “energetic island” of suitable living and prosperous business in 10 to 15 years, according to the overall plan.
Large-scale development of Hengqin has made its debut while much more to come is poised in the wings. Hengqin, dormant until now, is to become the maestro of closer co-operation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
Process
In December 2008, the State Council “Outline of the Plan for the Reform & Development of the Pearl River Delta” called for “planned construction of co-operative regions such as the Zhuhai Hengqin New Area, which would strengthen co-operation with Hong Kong and Macao in service and high-tech industries.”
In June 2009, the State Council approved in principle at an executive meeting the “Hengqin Overall Development Plan,” and declared intent to make Hengqin a demonstration area of close co-operation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The island would lead development and other advances in the Pearl River Delta in a role of service to Hong Kong and Macao.
In June 2009, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee granted the Macao Special Administrative Region jurisdiction over the site of a new campus for the University of Macao on Hengqin Island.
In August 2009, the State Council acknowledged the Overall Development Plan of Hengqin and its goals of demonstration, co-operation, reform and innovation, and added a new platform to promote industrial modernization of the Pearl River estuary under the “One Country, Two Systems” policy.
In August 2009, the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and provincial government issued “The Decision to Promote Closer Co-operation With Hong Kong and Macao.” This proposes to expedite construction of trans-border projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Guangzhou-Zhuhai section of the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao National Expressway. The decision also calls for a health-care park promoting Chinese traditional medicine in co-operation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao on Hengqin Island.
In August 2009, a conference addressing the institutional organization and official incumbency for the Hengqin New Area was held on the island. This essentially established the organizational structure and staff at all levels of the project.
Profile
Located just west of Macao and linked by bridge to Zhuhai City on the west side of the Pearl River estuary across from Hong Kong, Hengqin New Area is but 7km from the international sea route -- the Daxi Watercourse -- and 34km from Hong Kong. Also connected by bridge to Macao, which at one point is merely 200m nearby, the New Area is where “One Country, Two Systems” comes together today. Within 100km are the Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen international airports plus the convenient Zhuhai domestic airport. Bridge, road, water, power, postal service and port are existent at Hengqin New Area, which is a 40-minute drive from Zhuhai Airport, 10 minutes from Macao Airport and 50 minutes from Zhuhai Harbour.
Since 2005, entry and exit passenger flow through Hengqin Port has ranked among the nation’s top ten, while that of vehicles has made the top five. With advent of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Guangzhou-Zhuhai Railway, Jinhai Bridge and other transportation projects, Hengqin emerges as a transportation hub for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao with new routes to elsewhere near and far.
Three subsections, 10 zones
The Business Service Subsection located east and north of Small Hengqin Mountain will feature port service, central business and international residential community zones.
The Leisure Tourism Subsection located south of Big Hengqin Mountain will encompass leisure resort and ecological scenery zones.
The Scientific & Educational R&D Subsection located between Big and Small Hengqin mountains will contain teaching institution, comprehensive service, cultural creativity, scientific and technological R&D and high-tech industrial zones.
The University of Macao
As the only public tertiary institution in the Macao Special Administrative Region, the University of Macao has more than 6,000 students on campus and an international faculty of nearly 400, with over 60 per cent holding doctoral degrees. UM offers studies in Business Administration, Education, Law, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Technology, and at the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences. The land-starved university will relocate to an expansive campus in Hengqin in accordance with plans of the central government. The campus will be to the south of Hengqin Port and cover 1.0926sqkm. The outlook is for 15,000 students in no more than eight majors instead of the current six.
CNOOC Gas Terminal
Natural gas from the ocean bed and gas fields will arrive via pipelines for processing at the terminal. Production was initiated in March 2006 to provide high-quality natural gas to industrial and urban areas of Zhuhai, Macao, Zhongshan and beyond with annual capacity of 1.6 billion cubic metres.
Gas-Engine Generators
The 12 billion yuan ($1.76 billion) project features eight sets of 390MW9F-type natural gas-engine generators. In Phase 1, two sets of multiple combined supply gas-engine generators will be equipped. Upon completion, the project will guarantee power, heat, cooling and water supplies to Hengqin New Area in addition to power for the China Southern Power Grid.
Wind Power
Naobei Mountain on Hengqin Island boasts China’s second-largest wind power plant with 21 generators, each with 750kw capacity. With an eye towards total installed capacity of 15.75mw, commercial operation commenced in January 2008 in order to save 11,000 tonnes of standard coal each year.
Ocean Resort
Zhuhai Chime-Long International Ocean Resort has been under construction since April this year. With investment of at least 10 billion yuan ($1.46 billion), the project is being built in three phases at Fuxiang Bay, Hengqin. Included are International Ocean World, Ocean Theme Park, Night Zoo, Ocean Circus, Ocean Theme Hotel, Sports Leisure Park, the Commercial and Conference & Exhibition Center, Water City and supplemental structures. It anticipates attracting more than 10 million visitors a year.