Hengqin Thinkers | Harald Brüning, Director of The Macau Post Daily: patience and confidence are key to Hengqin's development

Editor's Note

As we celebrate the third anniversary of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (shortly referred to as the "Cooperation Zone"), GDToday is launching a series of interviews titled "Hengqin Thinkers". This series will gather the thoughts of distinguished individuals from the fields of government, business, and academia to review Hengqin's significant progress and offer a comprehensive view of its development journey. Through these dialogues, we aim to highlight Hengqin's importance and future potential in promoting industrial collaboration between Guangdong and Macao, strengthening ties with Portuguese-speaking countries, and illustrating Chinese path to modernization.

Since its official establishment, the Cooperation Zone has garnered widespread attention from all sectors of Macao society, including local media, such as the influential Macau Post Daily. As Macao's oldest English-language daily, the Macau Post Daily celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. Harald Brüning, a German and Director of the Macau Post Daily, who has been closely covering Hengqin for years, possesses a unique professional perspective and keen insight into its transformation and development. In a recent exclusive interview with GDToday, Brüning candidly stated, "The development of Hengqin poses both a challenge and an opportunity for Macao's future development."

Hengqin gradually becomes a strategic hub in the GBA

Brüning reminisced about his first visit to Hengqin in the 1980s, when the area was divided into Big Hengqin Island and Small Hengqin Island, renowned for oyster farming. Macao residents often took boats to Hengqin to enjoy fresh seafood. "At that time, Hengqin was a leisure destination where people went to relax and enjoy delicious food," he recalled.

"However, after Macao's return to the motherland in 1999, the development landscape of Hengqin underwent fundamental changes. The People's Government of Guangdong Province initially approved the establishment of the Hengqin Economic Development Zone, marking the beginning of Hengqin's development plan. Thereafter, Hengqin was incorporated into the development vision of the Pan-Pearl River Delta region. Then, in 2017, with the official launch of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiative, Hengqin's developmental positioning was further elevated." Brüning's knowledge of Hengqin's developmental trajectory is impeccable.

The relationship between Hengqin and Macao achieved a qualitative leap forward in 2021. In September of that year, The State Council of the People's Republic of China issued an overall development plan for the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, which has accelerated the pace of cooperation between Guangdong and Macao in developing Hengqin. The establishment of the Cooperation Zone not only deepened the cooperation between the two regions in economics, technology, innovation and other fields, but also identified Hengqin's role as a vital platform for promoting the moderate diversification of Macao's economy. Through this cooperation zone, Guangdong and Macao are able to jointly explore new cooperation models, facilitate the allocation of resources, and achieve mutual complementarity and win-win results.

In Brüning's view, Hengqin offers Macao unprecedented development opportunities. He noted that Macao is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, with an acute scarcity of land resources. Although Macao's land area has been expanded through land reclamation, its rapid economic and population growth has placed even higher demands on land. While Macao's total area has reached 33.3 square kilometers, Hengqin boasts an area of 106 square kilometers, three times that of Macao, providing ample space for further development and utilization by Macao.

The development of Hengqin boosts Macao's international presence

"Hengqin is undoubtedly a 'gift' from the central government to Macao, providing new space for Macao's economic development," said Brüning. He added that Hengqin not only brings broader development opportunities to Macao, but also offers diverse possibilities in high-tech, modern finance, exhibition services and other fields.

Brüning noted that remarkable progress has been made in the Cooperation Zone since its establishment three years ago. Skyscrapers have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, transforming the city's landscape. Infrastructure has been continuously improved, with public facilities gradually upgraded. "Nowadays, Hengqin is illuminated brightly at night, forming a stark contrast with the darkness of decades ago. Although the past three years have been short, the changes in Hengqin are evident, and its future potential is highly anticipated," he said.

Apart from providing diversified momentum for Macao's economy, Hengqin also helps elevate Macao's influence on the international stage. Brüning emphasized that as a bridge between China and the nine Portuguese-speaking countries worldwide, Macao's unique position will be further consolidated. Hengqin offers more space for Macao to attract investors and entrepreneurs from Portuguese-speaking countries and other regions. "However, Macao should not limit itself to this. With the accelerated development of infrastructure and industrial innovation, Hengqin is poised to become an ideal destination for global investors and researchers," he added. Referring to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in early September, Brüning expressed his belief that non-Portuguese-speaking African countries would also be interested in establishing enterprises and research institutions in Macao and Hengqin, suggesting big and diverse possibilities of cooperation in the future.

Nevertheless, the development of Hengqin presents not only an opportunity but also a significant challenge for Macao. Brüning pointed out that Macao is participating in the development of an area three times its size, which undoubtedly requires substantial human and material resources. Meanwhile, Macao needs to attract more high-end talents from the Chinese mainland and overseas to ensure the smooth progression of the Cooperation Zone. He remarked, "The development of Hengqin is not only a new driving force for Macao's economic growth but also a crucial opportunity for Macao to play a more significant role in Chinese modernization and innovation-driven development strategy."

The ideological barrier between Hengqin and Macao needs to be eliminated

Despite Hengqin's preliminary success, Brüning believes that "this project is still in its initial stage, and the complete development process may take decades." Comparing the development of Hengqin to that of the Xiong'an New Area, he observed similarities in their development models: "Both Xiong'an and Hengqin are brand-new cities built from scratch. Such projects cannot be completed in a short time. I believe Hengqin may still need more time to mature and fulfill its true potential."

Brüning specifically mentioned that the third anniversary of the Cooperation Zone in 2024 should be viewed as a new starting point rather than a milestone. He anticipates that by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Cooperation Zone will become a benchmark for Chinese modernization and innovation. "To see real results, we need to give Hengqin more time. In a few decades, its potential will be fully unleashed," Brüning said confidently.

With the continuous development of the GBA, Brüning believes that the integration of Macao and Hengqin has become an irreversible trend. He encourages more young people from Macao to explore career opportunities and accumulate work experience in the GBA, particularly in Hengqin. Finally, Brüning noted that although administrative boundaries still exist between Hengqin and Macao, their integration will deepen further in future development. "We need to eliminate the ideological barrier between Macao and Hengqin and view the two places as an integral whole," he concluded.