國務院總理李強在中央政府工作報告中強調，香港和澳門要堅定不移貫徹一國兩制、港人治港、澳人治澳、高度自治等四項方針，維護憲法和《基本法》所確定的特區憲制秩序，落實「愛國者治港」和「愛國者治澳」原則。
最重要的是，香港和澳門都必須發展經濟、改善民生，深化國際交往合作，更好融入國家發展大局，以保持長期繁榮穩定。
李強也表示，大灣區要發揮潛力和優勢，提升創新能力，並對京津冀、長三角等其他地區產生外溢效應。
針對李強的報告，香港特首李家超在社媒撰文，闡述香港將如何深化國際交往合作，加強「內聯外通」作用。
具體來說，香港將採取幾項措施：
（一）加速建立國際科技創新中心的進程；
（二）鞏固香港國際金融、航空、航運和貿易中心地位；
（三）吸引人才，推動新界北部都會區及河套創新科技園區的工作；
（四）推動大灣區高質量發展與基礎建設，加速香港與中國內地的融合；
（五）發揮香港的「超級聯繫人」角色，爭取加入RCEP（區域全面經濟夥伴協定），同時加強與中東、東盟、中亞等歐美國家的關係。
鼓勵港澳加強「深化國際交往合作」
政府工作報告鼓勵加強「深化國際交往合作」的說法也適用於澳門。澳門特首岑浩輝會見港澳辦主任夏寶龍後，兩人都強調了澳門要「適當」經濟多元化的重要。
鑑於橫琴粵澳深度合作區近兩年快速發展，澳門必須在橫琴大力發展會展中心，並結合本地大學的技術研究打造中醫藥中心，拓展連接氹仔、澳門本島乃至橫琴部分地區的郵輪旅遊服務，並在橫琴建設證券債券中心，以吸引葡語國家和內地公司投資。
客觀而言，香港所面臨的挑戰十分嚴峻。鑑於周末大量港人北上消費，香港有迫切需要以更創新的方式發展旅遊業。大型盛事只是振興旅遊業的選項之一，未來五年香港仍需要加快新界北部都會區及河套創新科技園香港園區的開發步伐，而不是停留在規劃階段。
夏寶龍最近赴深圳前海調研，並會見一批香港高級官員，突顯出李強報告中強調香港需要加強與內地的「內部聯繫」，這意味中央不太滿意北部都會區和河套創科園香港園區的進展，預計2025年底選舉後的新立法會將必須更有效地敦促港府，盡快制定相關項目的實施方案和時間表。
此外，香港應抓住與深圳鹽田港連結「內聯」的絕佳機遇，振興壯大航運業。2023年底，香港是全球第五大船東市場，約有2500艘懸掛香港區旗的船舶，佔全球船隊的2.4%。
2025年3月6日，路透社引述消息報道，中美關係惡化令一些航運公司逐步將業務遷出香港，並將船舶從船舶註冊處除名，而香港航運業傳統上由中國人主導，因此，香港航運業必須與內地航運業更加緊密地結合，以盡快實現雙贏。
中港航運一體化 實現雙贏
航運一體化不僅意味着本地航運公司與內地航運公司的合併，也意味着航線將會充分利用內地港口。加上香港傳統上實力雄厚的航空業，香港航運業的復興和進一步擴張具有戰略意義，強大的物流供應鏈將香港的海運、高效的陸路運輸連接到大灣區，並發揮其國際航空中心的地位。落實中央「內聯外通」理念，必須充分發揮香港地緣經濟與政治潛力。
此外，在釋放香港和澳門潛力的過程中，兩個特區最好敦促各自的旅遊部門以更創新和協調的方式進行協作。
香港和澳門是兄弟城市，不存在競爭關係，相反，如果他們探索如何合作促進旅遊業，潛力將可獲得最大化。內地和外國遊客可以參觀這兩個城市，作為旅遊套餐的一部分，其中包括歷史、戰爭遺址旅遊和文化景點、展示島嶼風光的遊輪以及在地區和國際範圍內聯合推廣的大型活動。
總括而言，中央政府關於香港、澳門的報告部分簡短而明確。兩個城市必須加強「內部聯繫和外部溝通」。中央期望在外交引領下，加速橫琴粵澳深度合作區建設、新界北部都會區和河套創新科技園香港園區的拓展、以及加強港澳對外關係等。
因此，港澳當局應該更積極地推進與大灣區更快、更深層融合的政策，同時利用好對外關係。香港當局還必須考慮如何重振其航運業，並使其與內地進行更具策略性地融合。同樣，澳門可以利用與葡語國家和歐盟的良好關係來擴大貿易。
The Central Government’s Report on Hong Kong and Macau: Expectations and Implications
The central government’s report delivered by Premier Li Qiang emphasised the importance of Hong Kong and Macau fully implementing the principles of “one country, two systems,” “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong,” “Macau people ruling Macau,” and “a high degree of autonomy” – four main aspects to which the two special administrative regions must adhere.
Furthermore, the two special administrative regions must, according to Premier Li, protect the Chinese constitution and the constitutional order for the sake of realising the principles of having “patriots” rule Hong Kong and Macau.
Most importantly, both Hong Kong and Macau must develop their economy, improve their people’s livelihood, deepen cooperation and interaction with the international society, integrate deeper into the Chinese nation’s developmental plan, and protect the two cities’ economic prosperity and long-term stability (Wen Wei Po, 6 March 2025).
Li Qiang also added that the Greater Bay Area must develop its potential and maximise its advantages in elevating innovative capability and its related spillover effects on other regions, like the Beijing-Tianjin nexus and the Yangtze River Delta.
In response to Li Qiang’s report, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee wrote about how Hong Kong would deepen its international cooperation with other countries and strengthen “internal connections and external communications” (Wen Wei Po, 6 March 2025). Specifically, Hong Kong would take several measures: (1) speeding up the process of developing an international innovation and technology centre; (2) consolidating Hong Kong’s international financial, aviation, shipping and trade centre; (3) attracting talent and promoting innovation and technology work in the Northern Metropolis and Hetao area; (4) promoting high-quality development and infrastructure in the Greater Bay Area so that Hong Kong’s integration with the mainland will accelerate; and (5) developing Hong Kong’s role as a “super-connector” by striving to join RCEP while strengthening relations with the Middle East, ASEAN, Central Asia and other European and North American countries.
The central government’s report’s phrase encouraging Hong Kong and Macau to enhance “internal connections and external communications” is applicable to the Macau Special Administrative Region. Macau Chief Executive Sam Ho Fai met Xia Baolong, the director of the Hong Kong-Macau Affairs Office; both stressed the importance of Macau’s “suitable” economic diversification.
Given the rapid development of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin over the past two years, Macau must push ahead in developing convention and exhibition centres there, accompanied by the necessity of generating a Chinese medicine hub with technological research from local universities, expanding cruise tourism linking Taipa Island with Macau Peninsula and, hopefully, parts of Hengqin later, building up the securities and bond centre in Hengqin, and attracting investment from Portuguese-speaking countries and mainland enterprises. Meanwhile, Macau must accelerate the assistance its government provides to small and medium-sized enterprises, turning some local food products into regional and international brands. In this way, Macau’s economic diversification will help the city grow further with new physical space, new economic opportunities, new business ventures, and new mainland and foreign investment.
Macau’s traditionally good relations with Portuguese-speaking countries and the European Union can also be maximised to the fullest extent in the coming years, particularly in the process of building up the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and attracting more foreign investment. At the same time, Macau’s unique blend of Chinese and Portuguese food products has the potential to create new markets for trade expansion, thereby unleashing the potential of local small and medium-sized enterprises to the fullest extent.
The challenges facing Hong Kong, from an objective standpoint, are significant. Given the constant outflow of local Hong Kong people who spend heavily in Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area during weekends, it is urgent for Hong Kong to develop its tourism industry in a more innovative way. Mega-events are only one option for renewing its tourism industry, but Hong Kong needs to move much faster in developing the Hetao area and the Northern Metropolis over the next five years rather than remaining at the planning stage.
Xia Baolong’s recent visit to Shenzhen’s Qianhai and his meeting with a group of top Hong Kong principal officials underscore why the central government’s report delivered by Li Qiang emphasised Hong Kong’s need to enhance its “internal connections” with the mainland – an implication that the central authorities were not entirely pleased with the slow progress of the Northern Metropolis and Hetao areas. It is expected that the new Legislative Council, after its elections in late 2025, will have to scrutinise the Hong Kong government more effectively and push it to produce an implementation plan and timeline for developing Hetao and the Northern Metropolis.
Another challenge for Hong Kong is its lack of a unique industrial base. From a critical perspective, given China’s rapid development of its electric vehicles (EVs), the Hong Kong authorities should consider how to bring mainland EVs to the city and remake them into a unique Hong Kong brand. So far, no such innovative idea has emerged from the Hong Kong automobile sector.
On the other hand, Hong Kong should seize the excellent opportunity of “internal connections” through its linkage with Shenzhen’s Yantian port to revive and expand its shipping industry. In late 2023, Hong Kong was the fifth-largest ship-owning market in the world, with some 2,500 vessels flying its flag and accounting for 2.4 per cent of the world fleet.
Although a recent report in Reuters (6 March 2025) stated that deteriorating US-China relations mean some shipping companies are discreetly moving operations out of Hong Kong and removing vessels from its flag registry, Hong Kong’s shipping industry has traditionally been led by the Chinese. As such, Hong Kong’s shipping industry must integrate more closely with its mainland counterpart to achieve a win-win outcome sooner.
Integration in shipping means not only mergers between local and mainland shipping companies but also the full utilisation of mainland ports as shipping routes. Together with Hong Kong’s traditionally strong aviation industry, the rejuvenation and further expansion of Hong Kong’s shipping industry is strategic – a robust logistics supply chain linking maritime Hong Kong with its efficient land transportation to the Greater Bay Area and its status as an international aviation centre. The geo-economic and geopolitical potential of Hong Kong must be maximised in implementing the central government’s idea of enhancing its “internal connections and external communications.”
Furthermore, in the process of unleashing the potential of both Hong Kong and Macau, the two special administrative regions should ideally urge their tourism authorities to approach collaborative tourism in a more innovative and coordinated manner. Notably, cruise tourism could link the two places in a more dynamic way; historical and cultural tourism could connect the two unique cities, both of which blend Western and Chinese cultures; and sports tourism could see Hong Kong cooperate with Macau in a stronger, mutually beneficial arrangement.
The brotherly cities of Hong Kong and Macau are not in competition; rather, their potential can and will be maximised if they explore how tourism can be boosted collaboratively. Mainland and foreign tourists could visit the two cities as part of a package that includes historical, war sites tourism and cultural sites, cruises showcasing the islands’ scenery, and mega-events that are jointly promoted on a regional and international scale.
In conclusion, the central government’s report section on Hong Kong and Macau is brief but clear. Both cities must enhance their “internal connections and external communications.” As such, the central authorities expect a faster pace of development for the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, the expansion of the Northern Metropolis and Hetao in Hong Kong, and the strengthening of Hong Kong and Macau’s external relations under the diplomatic guidance of the central government in Beijing.
Hong Kong and Macau authorities should therefore be bolder in implementing policies that foster faster and deeper integration with the Greater Bay Area while leveraging their external relations with various countries. Hong Kong’s authorities must also consider how to rejuvenate its shipping industry and integrate it more strategically with the mainland. Similarly, Macau can capitalise on its good relations with Portuguese-speaking countries and the European Union to expand trade.
Finally, the tourism authorities in both Hong Kong and Macau should engage in deeper discussions on how to attract more mainland and international tourists through collaborative efforts in historical, cultural, sports and cruise tourism. If the central authorities and planners have already been innovative in terms of planning and development, it is long overdue for Hong Kong and Macau authorities and their think tanks to follow suit.
原刊於澳門新聞通訊社（MNA）網站，本社獲作者授權轉載。（原文按此）
