Hengqin Port, between Macao and Zhuhai, Guangdong province, received more than 42 million visitors and 5 million vehicles over the last three years.
The average annual growth rates were approximately 95 percent for individuals and 55 percent for vehicles.
Since the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin was officially established on Sept 17, 2021, Hengqin Port — the only immigration channel between Guangdong and Macao within the cooperation zone — has served as a major hub for connectivity in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
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According to statistics compiled by the Hengqin Immigration Inspection Station, about 10 million Macao residents traveled through the Hengqin Port, representing a growth of about 120 percent compared to three years ago.
As for vehicles, the number of single-plate cars from Macao exceeded 3.36 million, representing an increase from around 30 percent three years ago to 67 percent now of the total number of Hengqin Port’s inbound and outbound vehicles.
“To deal with the growing flow of passengers and vehicles, we are exploring new customs clearance modes, such as intelligent vehicle inspection technologies,” said Zeng Xiang, deputy director of the Inspection Station.
“The goal is to further enhance a highly convenient customs clearance environment and to facilitate the rapid development of the Hengqin-Macao integration,” Zeng added.
The increasing frequency of exchanges and communications through the port signals a closer relationship between the two cities and further integration within the Hengqin zone.
As of June, there were over 58,000 companies operating in the zone, and the number of Macao-invested enterprises had jumped by 37 percent to more than 6,000. The zone also provided employment opportunities for more than 5,000 Macao residents and had incubated 428 Macao projects through its youth innovation and entrepreneurship bases.
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In particular, the zone has witnessed a remarkable increase in four new industries: scientific research and high-end manufacturing; traditional Chinese medicine; culture, tourism and conventions; and modern finance.
The number of enterprises in the above sectors has risen by 20 percent to 17,061 over the past three years, contributing 11.78 billion yuan ($1.66 billion) to regional GDP in the first half of 2024. During the same period, Hengqin's GDP has grown by 6.1 percent year-on-year to 24.99 billion yuan.
