Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hengqin’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao (GMTCM Park) last Monday 22 October as part of the same trip that saw him open the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Xi’s visit was just his second to Guangdong since ascending to the nation’s highest office back in 2012. The first trip to the province came on the heels of the 18th National Congress of the CPC in November 2012.

According to Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po, the President arrived in Zhuhai in the afternoon and went straight to the workshop and laboratories to inspect and learn more about the construction and operation of the CMTCM Park.

Xi stated during the inspection that he had visited Hengqin four times in the past 10 years and was interested in the progress of the city’s development.

“In 10 years, the Hengqin New District has come from scratch and has changed greatly,” he said. “We must never forget why we began, to make this place full of innovation and vitality, as well as promoting the diversification of Macau’s economy.”

On 6 March 2011, Xi witnessed the signature of the “Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Framework Agreement” when he was still member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice President of the State. The CMTCM Park was the first landing project from the agreement, jointly established by Macau and Hengqin for further development, construction and operations management.

Xi attended the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in Zhuhai the day after visiting Hengqin, then continued the rest of his inspection tour of other cities in Guangdong Province, including Qingyuan, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.