Macao group Nam Kwong taps Belt and Road, Greater Bay Area

Nam Kwong (Group) Co Ltd has seized opportunities to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, said Li Zhizhong, vice-president of the group.

Nam Kwong, which is directly under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), is a central enterprise based in Macao.

The group's main businesses cover four categories - crude oil, refined oil products and consumer goods trade; hotels, tourism, exhibition and supporting services; real estate management and development; and integrated logistics services.

Travel and tourism

"Nam Kwong serves more than 2 million tourists every year, boosting the tourism market and promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges," Li said during an interview with the Belt and Road Initiative press corps.

The group was the first to introduced natural gas buses to promote green development of public transportation in the Greater Bay Area, he added.

Nam Kwong is the only designated work unit via China Travel Service (Macao) Ltd in Macao to handle mainland travel permit for Hong Kong and Macao residents and mainland travel permit for Taiwan residents, Li said.

Commerce and trade

Nam Kwong has 70 years of experience in integrated logistics and international trade.

"The group is engaged in cross-border transportation of more than 2,000 vehicles per year, which helps achieve smooth logistics," said Li.

The group studied and promoted the construction of cross-border e-commerce platforms and promote the development of cross-border trade between countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and Portuguese-speaking countries, the vice-president said.

Nam Kwong introduced high-level conferences and large-scale events such as China-Portugal Investment and Trade Fair to Macao, he said.

"The group has invested and operated star hotels in Macao, Guilin, Xi'an and Canada," he added.

Information flow

Nam Kwong signed the strategic cooperation agreement with NetEase to set up Hong Kong and Macao operation center to promote the wide circulation of information, Li said.

Netease Hong Kong and Macao gateway stations have begun operation, and it will promote economic and trade, cultural, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in the mainland, Southeast Asia, and Portuguese-speaking countries, Li added.

"The group developed cultural and creative industries in Macao to promote cultural exchanges," he said.

Infrastructure connectivity

Nam Kwong has successfully finished the construction project of Macao Boundary Crossing Facilities Management Area of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge within one year, creating necessary conditions for the bridge to be opened to traffic, accelerating regional development and integrating development, Li said.

"The group also participated in the construction of Hengqin Economic Development Zone," he said.

Nam Kwong was negotiating with countries along the Belt and Road in East Europe, Middle East and Portuguese-speaking regions on logistics and trade.

Nam Kwong's predecessor founded in August 1949 was the first Chinese-funded institution in Macao.

China Nam Kwong Group, restructured on the basis of Macao-based Nam Kwong Group and Zhuhai-based Zhenrong Corp in 2015 and was set up in 2017.