On the way to internationalization, Hong Kong says goodbye to the quarantine and makes a strategy that allows it to open up to the world. A change that, when supported by Beijing, predicts a turning point in current politics at the national level. To end this tough chapter for the country’s socio-economic sustainability, it makes sense to start with the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
Its unique characteristics and the autonomy conferred by the “One Country, Two Systems” policy prove to be decisive in a scenario of openness, in which its status guarantees greater ease in attracting foreign investment for the development of Greater Bay.
But as Hong Kong begins to prepare to be that bridge, Macau’s fate is dangerous. The Chief Executive has already confirmed the continuation of the quarantine and does not feed the idea that the MSAR will mirror Hong Kong. The goals of the 2nd Five-Year Plan and Hengqin development until 2035 are hostages to this reopening, but intolerance to the virus does not allow real change and timing can be lost.
The truth is that this is not possible for now. The local socio-economic development was designed to feed on the Interior and from there only. The rapid growth clouded the city which, out of gluttony, withdrew its own autonomy. In the 20 years that followed the liberalization of gambling, the city turned to the Continent and forgot about the outside world. It took a pandemic and a grip from Beijing to remember that the plan doesn’t work and was never intended by the capital.
However, being a tool to attract foreign investment is not easy. And Macau does not have an international airport and the job market is not qualified for this mission. On the other hand, a large part of the workforce lives in Zhuhai and Macau continues to be heavily dependent on gaming revenues from the mainland.
One cannot expect any decision that does not accompany national policy, as moving away from the Interior is premature death. But this autonomy has a purpose – to serve China. If it proves incapable of doing so, the “ant” of the Greater Bay is of little use to Beijing.
The importance that is foretold in the central power for Macau has to be conquered and protected, and so far it has failed.
*Executive Director of PLATAFORMA
