Night view of Macao on Jan 31, 2019. [Photo/VCG] MACAO - The government of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) plans to set up an investment and development fund to support the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the SAR's chief executive Chui Sai-on has said. During a question-and-answer session at the SAR Legislative Assembly Thursday, Chui told Macao's legislative members that there were about 49 projects relating to Macao's participation in the Greater Bay Area set out in the outline development plan for the Greater Bay Area. He said Macao's basic fiscal reserves and surplus reserves amounted to 569.54 billion patacas (about $70.49 billion), while there was 163.25 billion patacas (about $20.20 billion) in foreign exchange reserves at the beginning of 2019, and the government had the financial capability to establish such a fund. The fund would be set up in the second half of 2019, and would be managed by a government-owned entity operating independently of the current structure of public administration. It would be run in accordance with market-led and commercial principles, he added. The chief executive said it was not only a way for improving returns on publicly-held capital and for the benefit of public funds, but also for realizing policy goals mentioned in the Greater Bay Area outline development plan. The Greater Bay Area consists of the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR, as well as nine cities in Guangdong province -- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing. customize braceletscool rubber wristbandsrubber wrist bandsplastic rubber band braceletscustom rubber wristbands canada
A woman wearing a mask walks on a street in Beijing on Nov 14, 2018. [Photo/IC] China's environmental protection chief carried out surprise inspections at two factories on Tuesday night to monitor the implementation of emergency anti-smog measures in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Li Ganjie, the minister of ecology and environment, visited a plant making flux and filler metals for welders and a cement works in Baoding, Hebei province, according to a news release. Cities across the region have issued air pollution alerts since Monday, triggering measures to restrict the production of smokestack industries. Hebei has issued an orange alert, the second-highest level of the four-tier warning system used by most authorities. Blue is the lowest, then yellow, and red is the highest. Beijing - which recently switched to a three-tier system - and Tianjin have issued yellow alerts. Experts have forecast unfavorable meteorological conditions for dispersing air pollutants this winter, and Li has urged local authorities to adopt a tough stance on environmental violations during periods of heavy smog, the ministry release said. All environmental officials should stay in their posts and carry out inspections round the clock to single out any neglected zones for supervision, Li said. The release said the ministry had sent notices to Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan and Shaanxi provinces, as well as Beijing and Tianjin, to request they implement emergency response measures. Chen Jining, mayor of Beijing and a former environment minister, also visited construction sites and joined inspection teams as they checked diesel trucks at a highway toll gate on Tuesday night. This was after he presided over a video conference to address the emergency response situation, according to media reports. During the conference, Chen told local authorities to strengthen air pollution control and ensure strict measures are enforced. This ongoing bout of smog is expected to clear on Friday due to cold air from the north that will arrive in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region at noon on Thursday. custom picture charm braceletscolor wristbandscustom silicone bracelets canadapersonalized heart braceletcustom rubber wristbands<%2fcenter>
