China’s representative in Macau says the territory needs more land to achieve its economic diversification goals—land that will need to come from the neighboring mainland province of Guangdong.
Even considering the Macau government’s plans to reclaim more areas of the surrounding sea, Li Gang, director of the Central People’s Government Liaison Office Li Gang, said, “In the long run, this space is far too little, given the city’s rate of population growth and economic development. Macau lacks space and human resources, so the (Macau) government is in talks about developing land in Cuiheng and Nansha while continuing to cooperate on Hengqin.”
Hengqin is the large island bordering Macau that is governed by the mainland municipality of Zhuhai. Cuiheng is in Zhongshan. Nansha is in Guangzhou.
He suggested there could be opportunities in these jurisdictions for Macau businesses to engage in manufacturing, medical services and high tech.
Macau’s Secretary for the Economy and Finance Francis Tam similarly has noted that a joint venture set up by Macau and Guangdong to own and develop a Chinese traditional medicine park on Hengqin was one model for cooperation in Nansha and Cuiheng.
The government’s plan for the reclaimed land, five areas totaling 3.5 square kilometers, is to use it for housing, tourism facilities, infrastructure, public medical facilities and government offices.
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Lau Si Io has told the Legislative Assembly could support public and private housing containing 33,000 to 43,000 apartments of about 700 square feet each.
The government thinks that the population could grow from around 600,000 currently, which includes some 120,000 non-resident migrant workers, to nearly 750,000 by 2020.
