Former Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani has lavished praise on the cooperation zone between Hengqin and Macau, saying that it will benefit from the Greater Bay Area, citing the success story of the country’s technology metropolis Shenzhen.

The 74-year-old distinguished
fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore
shared his views on Hengqin during a recent visit there, according to mainland
Chinese authorities.

His stop in Hengqin was
part of an official visit to China by Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore’s prime
minister, which began on 27 March.

The six-day trip also
saw Mahbubani pay a visit to the Macau University of Science and Technology to
celebrate 23 years since its establishment as a guest.

During his inspection
visit to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the academic said that
the development of GBA would open the island one waterway away from Macau to
great economic opportunities.

“The Greater Bay Area
is one of the most dynamic economic regions in China and the world.” Mahbubani
was quoted as saying, recalling the first time he visited the once dormant
fishing village.  “Now, the area has
grown faster economically than any other economic region in human history.
That’s a phenomenal success story.”

Moreover, it was said
that Mahbubani also spoke highly of the zone’s projects dedicated to Macao locals,
describing them as “innovative”.

They could serve as
successful models for the overall development of the Greater Bay Area in the
future, the academic said.

Shenzhen – globally
known for its technological innovations and up-and-coming startups – started to
ride a wave of economic reforms in 1979 to become an economic powerhouse north
of Hong Kong.

Its gross domestic output,
or GDP, rose at an annual rate of 21.6 per cent to RMB 2.69 trillion (US$ 388.9
billion/ MOP 3.25 trillion), according to state-owned news agency Xinhua.