During group discussions of the current annual session of the CPPCC Ninth National Committee on Sunday, Tina Ho Teng Iat, manager of Ho Tin Industrial Co. Ltd., said that this will help promote cooperation and regional economic integration of the four places.

She said that Macao enjoys geographical advantages, and similar social and cultural background in intensifying cooperation with Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Shenzhen.

She said Macao boasts a business environment similar to the world market and foreign economic and trade laws and regulations conformable to common international practice.

Making full use of Macao's advantages in foreign cooperation will help expand the mainland's contact and cooperation with the outside world, she noted. The economic and trade cooperation between Macao and the mainland is also conducive to achieving the goal of common prosperity, she said.

Macao now is a member of more than 50 international organizations and is an official member of 27 international organizations. It is an official member of the World Trade Organization with the status as an independent customs zone of China.

She said the policy of "One country, Two systems" facilitates broader cooperation between Macao and the mainland in such areas as environmental protection, infrastructure construction, financial service, science and technology in addition to foreign economic and trade and tourism.

(People’s Daily 03/12/2001)