GBA briefs

Hong Kong

'Golden channel' a vital link in region's connectivity

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge - a monumental cross-sea transportation project built under the auspices of "one country, two systems" - marked its 5th anniversary on Oct 24.

The 55-kilometer link - the world's longest bridge-tunnel sea crossing - has recorded a cumulative flow of 36 million cross-boundary commuters and 7.5 million vehicles since the mega project was declared open by President Xi Jinping on Oct 23, 2018.

The total value of imports and exports recorded via the bridge's ports has soared to a staggering 718.75 billion yuan ($98.22 billion). More than 11.5 million people have traversed the bridge so far this year - a 6-percent increase from 2019, and 2.35 million vehicle trips were made - 3.6 times more than in 2019.

Macao

Macao-Chinese mainland CEPA enters 20th year

This year is the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Chinese mainland.

The pact has fostered stronger economic ties between the two places. Since its inception, Macao enterprises have capitalized on the agreement's zero-tariff advantages by exporting goods worth $1.4 billion patacas ($174 million) to the mainland. This has resulted in substantial savings of more than 90 million patacas in tariffs. The Macao SAR has so far issued 876 service providers' certificates to local businesses to facilitate their operations on the mainland.

The city hosted an event recently, with more than 70 letters of intent for cooperation signed between 51 research groups and technology companies in Macao and some 70 innovative entities from the mainland.

Guangzhou

Provincial capital on list of nation's pilot smart ports

Guangzhou has been given the nod to be among the pilot smart ports under the National 14th Five-Year Plan for Port Development. The Guangdong provincial capital has been upgrading its port infrastructure to provide easier, faster and smarter customs, tax, business, banking and port services for international trade.

Construction of the pilot smart ports will center on upgrading intelligent facilities, building intensive information systems, enhancing digital operations and management, providing convenient comprehensive services, and advancing normal cross-border cooperation.

Shenzhen

Hetao cooperation zone offers bus services

Cross-boundary buses for the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, wedged between the two cities, went into service on Oct 27, providing commuters direct rides from Hong Kong Science Park in Sha Tin to its Shenzhen branch through Huanggang Port. The journey takes about 45 minutes.

There are three daily round trips on weekdays, with no services on weekends and public holidays on the mainland. Adopting a whitelisting mechanism, the service enables research personnel working in whitelist institutions to enjoy free rides during the pilot run.

Zhuhai

TCM preparations ready for clinical use in Macao

Five traditional Chinese medicine preparations, developed by the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine in coordination with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation between Guangdong province and Macao on Zhuhai's Hengqin region, were delivered to Kiang Wu Hospital in the Macao SAR on Oct 25. They will be gradually used for clinical practice in the SAR.

The medicines have been clinically utilized on the mainland for more than two decades, primarily for treating osteoporosis, coughing and wheezing, as well as digestive disorders.

Foshan

Foshan marches up pay scale ladder at 9,000 yuan

The average monthly salary of workers in Foshan has reached 9,000 yuan, getting closer to the Guangdong provincial average of 9,100 yuan - an increase of 5.8 percent over that of the previous year - according to a recent survey by the Guangzhou Talent Group.

Taking into account the salary levels of cities in Guangdong, the overall pay scale for employees in the Pearl River Delta region is seen as rather generous. Shenzhen and Guangzhou lead the province with average monthly salaries of 12,300 yuan and 11,300 yuan, respectively. They're followed by Zhuhai and Foshan with respective average monthly paychecks of 9,300 yuan and 9,000 yuan.

Pay levels in Foshan have been climbing steadily in alignment with the trend of rising wage levels for urban employees as announced by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Huizhou

New-energy storage project to cut electricity costs

A new-energy storage project by Huizhou Electric Power Development Co has been completed and went into operation on Oct 27.

The commissioning of the project, which is among Huizhou's first batch of new power systems for user-side energy storage facilities, will help the city's new energy storage industry excel in the country.

The company installed photovoltaics with a capacity of 80 kilowatts on the top of the energy storage equipment, and on the roof of adjacent factories. The facility can store and release about 10,000 kWh of electricity for enterprises daily. By leveraging the difference between peak and trough periods in electricity prices, the project can save enterprises about 2 million yuan in power costs annually. It can also serve as an emergency backup power supply for businesses.

Dongguan

Import-export trade through BRI soars to 444b yuan

Dongguan's total import and export trade with countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative saw its value soar to 444.17 billion yuan in 2022 - an increase from 236.24 billion yuan in 2013.

The increase represents an average annual growth rate of 7.3 percent since the BRI was launched in 2013.

Dongguan's cumulative import and export trade value with BRI participating countries in the past decade has reached 3.68 trillion yuan, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the city's total foreign trade import and export value during the same period.

Zhongshan

Town team emerge as village basketball champions

Zhongshan's Shaxi Town team have won the first national "Village Basketball Association" final championship.

Relying on unity, teamwork and determination to fight on, players of the Guangdong Zhongshan Shaxi team defeated the Guangdong Dongguan Dalang team 84-78 on Oct 28 to clinch the championship in the first national "Village BA" final.

The "Village BA" competition, held at Taipan Village in southwestern China's Guizhou province, has become a big hit online as netizens enjoyed the intoxicating atmosphere, huge participation and its extreme popularity.

Jiangmen

GDP soars 5.3% amid boom in consumer goods sales

Jiangmen's economic performance took a big stride forward in the first three quarters of this year. Official data released on Oct 27 showed the city's gross domestic product reached 281 billion yuan - a 5.3 percent year-on-year growth - placing Jiangmen among the top-performing cities in Guangdong province.

Total retail sales of consumer goods reached 100.92 billion yuan in the first three quarters, representing a 2.2 percent year-on-year increase. In foreign trade, exports in September amounted to 12.66 billion yuan - an 11.2 percent year-on-year growth.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is one of the primary sources of foreign direct investment in Jiangmen.

Zhaoqing

International hotel chain to elevate city's profile

Zhaoqing will build an international chain hotel and a large-scale commercial complex project in the city's high-tech zone.

The mega project's investment will exceed 1 billion yuan, with a construction area of 100,000 square meters, and is aimed at enhancing urban facilities and elevating the status of the Zhaoqing High-Tech Zone. The project is strategically located at the center of the zone, within an 800-meter radius of existing facilities, such as Qilin Lake Park, schools and a planned public hospital and a cultural center.