Shenzhen signed five agreements with Macao to promote cooperation in finance, tourism, culture, medicine and education between the two cities at the 2010 Shenzhen and Macao Cooperation Conference in Shenzhen yesterday.
Cooperation in culture will be the highlight of the bilateral cooperation, said Chui Sai-on, chief executive of Macao.
Chui said Macao would set up a subvenue for the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, which would serve as a platform for exhibiting cultural works, projects and trade.
The two cities cultural cooperation was at the stage of practice rather than intention, said Shenzhen Mayor Xu Qin.
The city government had arranged for a number of cultural enterprises to visit Macao recently to learn of the investment environment and cultural industries in the SAR. More exchange visits will be encouraged to explore win-win opportunities, Xu said.
An agreement to establish a medical laboratory was signed between the Shenzhen Municipal Drug Administration, Shenzhen Institute for Drug Control, and the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at the University of Macao.
The biology industry is a strategic industry in Shenzhen and its revenue is expected to reach 200 billion yuan (US$29 billion) over the next five years, said Xu.
The two cities will cooperate in TCM research, industrialization and marketing of research findings, he said.
Shenzhen will also introduce experienced teachers in higher education from Macao, according to Xu.
The University of Macao and the South University of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen also signed a framework agreement at the conference.
