Integrated development in Greater Bay Area remarkable: spokesman

China achieved remarkable progress in the integrated development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in 2025, said a spokesman for the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Tuesday.

The GBA consists of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, as well as nine cities in Guangdong Province, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing one day before the opening of the session, Liu Jieyi briefed the press on the Committee's efforts in advancing the development of the Greater Bay Area and supporting Hong Kong and Macao to better integrate into the overall development of the country in 2025.

"For the first time, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao co-hosted the 15th National Games. They took an innovative and coordinated approach so that the same matter, policy and rule were applied seamlessly across the three areas, staging a sporting event that highlighted institutional strength, enacted the story that unity is strength, and showcased the unique characteristics of the GBA. With the 'Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles' scheme in place, the GBA is embracing a new era of two-way direct cross-boundary transportation. Two innovation corridors, Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong and Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao, worked together to become the most active factors for innovation in the area. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster topped the global innovation index while the Macao-Zhuhai cluster made the world's top 100 for two years running," said Liu.

"The Elderly Health Care Voucher GBA Pilot Scheme covers all nine mainland cities in the GBA. The number of designated medical institutions in the 'Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect' continues increasing to better serve Hong Kong and Macao residents living and working in the mainland. In today's GBA, roads link the three places, cities blend into one another, and the hearts beat as one. A world-class bay area and globally significant city clusters are rapidly taking shape," Liu added.

Last year, the CPPCC National Committee actively offered ideas for governance with a focus on promoting long term stability and prosperity in Hong Kong and Macao and their integration into the overall national development, said the spokesman.

"Centering around topics like strengthening alignment of rules and mechanisms of the GBA, implementing the outline development plan, developing international tech innovation centers, advancing the integrated development between Hengqing and Macao, and building major corporation platforms of Hengqing, Qianhai, Nansha and Hetao, the National Committee has carried out survey and research, organized themed seminars and workshops, and exercised democratic oversight to help boost high-level connectivity across the three places as well as efficient and easy flow of production factors of all kinds," he said.

The CPPCC National Committee also went to campuses to give presentations on national conditions, rolled out a special program of learning and practice in Shanghai for young talents from Macao, and was active in building platforms of exchange between youth from Hong Kong, Macao and the mainland, said Liu.

Members from Hong Kong and Macao have played a dual positive role and taken an active part in the GBA's development, supported the SAR governments in delivering their work and helped strengthen cooperation between Hong Kong, Macao and the mainland on economy and trade, science and technology, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

This year, the CPPCC National Committee will play an active role in deliberations to offer suggestions on stepping up cooperation between Hong Kong, Macao and the mainland, supporting Hong Kong and Macao in building pacesetters that bring international high caliber talents together, and will contribute more to helping Hong Kong and Macao better integrate into and serve the overall national development, Liu said.

Integrated development in Greater Bay Area remarkable: spokesman

China stands ready to work with Pakistan to continuously promote peace and advance dialogue, and keep making efforts for the early restoration of peace, stability and development in the Middle East, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone conversation with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

Dar briefed on the situation of the first-phase memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached between Iran and the United States, expressing gratitude to China for maintaining close communication with Pakistan over the past few months and providing valuable support for Pakistan's mediation efforts.

The Pakistani side looks forward to continuing communication and coordination with the Chinese side, maintaining the current momentum of peace talks, and jointly playing a positive role in achieving lasting peace and stability in the region, Dar added.

Wang congratulated Pakistan on facilitating the first-phase MoU between Iran and the United States, and stressed that working for peace is an international responsibility shared by all countries, including China and Pakistan.

As long as there remains hope for peace, every effort is worthwhile, he said.

Since the outbreak of the war, China has engaged with all parties and actively promoted a ceasefire and peace talks, Wang noted. From the very beginning, China has firmly supported Pakistan and emphasized to all parties that Pakistan is a trustworthy mediator, he said, adding that China has also engaged separately with Iran and the United States in its own way.

Quoting a Chinese saying, "For a journey of a hundred miles, reaching ninety is only half the task," Wang noted that the current consensus is far from the end point but a new starting point, and lasting peace in the Middle East and the Gulf region still requires sustained efforts from all parties.

It is foreseeable that, compared with the first phase of the talks, the second phase will be even more difficult. However, China believes there must be no turning back, still less any return to the use of force, he said.

The international community should further support the Iran-U.S. talks, and multilateral institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, should also play a greater role, said Wang.

China has consistently advocated that regional countries should take their future and destiny into their own hands, and hopes to explore, through dialogue and consultation, a peace and security architecture that is jointly participated in by all countries in the region, he said.

Once the door to peace has been opened, it should not be closed again, said Wang, adding that the Middle East has been deeply scarred by war and its people deserve peace.

China to continue efforts with Pakistan for early restoration of peace in Middle East: FM