SCMP China Conference: Beijing think tank president makes pitch for Asean countries to go big into Greater Bay Area and work with Hong Kong

Xu Ze, former deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, declares next five-year plan will have prominent role for ambitious project

The think tank president also defends new push for a Hong Kong governed by ‘patriots’, calling it necessary for city’s long-term stability

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Former Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office deputy director Xu Ze on Thursday told the SCMP’s China Conference the Greater Bay Area project held great promise for Asean countries. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:47am, 25 Feb 2021Updated: 5:26pm, 25 Feb 2021

The head of a top Beijing think tank has called on businesses and leaders in Southeast Asian countries to seize the opportunities offered by the Chinese government’s Greater Bay Area plan, which he said would be key to Hong Kong’s continuing success as a financial hub.

Xu Ze, who served as deputy director of Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) from 2001-04 and 2013-15, on Thursday told the South China Morning Post’s China Conference the bay area project would become “a significant platform of cooperation between” China and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Now president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, Xu said his Beijing-based think tank had made the bay area plan a key focus of their studies and would be delighted to offer help to those interested in the project.

Beijing’s Greater Bay Area plan aims to transform Hong Kong, Macau and nine Guangdong cities into a global finance and technological powerhouse by 2035. Photo: AP

“I hope our Southeast Asian friends can visit the Greater Bay Area more often, and I believe that you will be inspired by a world-class dynamic bay area with unlimited development potential and room for imagination,” he said in a pre-recorded speech.

“I hope everyone will pay more attention to the Greater Bay Area, support it, and actively participate in the construction and development of it.”