High-end services to propel Hengqin growth

Tourism, innovation, cultural industries to get additional focus in development plans

High-end services will be the main growth driver for Hengqin, an island close to Macao that has recently been designated as part of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, local government officials said.

"Hengqin's GDP is negligible compared with the GDP in Guangdong," said Niu Jing, director of the management commission of Hengqin. "Therefore, we are not going to focus on the manufacturing model that Guangdong has been following for decades. High value-added sectors such as high-end tourism, services, innovation and cultural industries figure prominently in our agenda."