To strengthen the collaboration between Guangdong and Macao in the study of the 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road, Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) and the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences (GASS) jointly organised the “Conference on the 21^st Century Silk Road and Guangdong-Macao Development” from 30 October to 1 November 2014.

The conference was participated in by more than 30 academics from both institutions, including amongst them Professor Wen Xianyuan, Deputy Director of the GASS, and Professor Lei Heong Iok, President of MPI. The participants explored various topics under the theme from a multitude of perspectives, such as international economy, macroeconomics, industrial economics, maritime economics, corporate research, sociology and demography, religion, finance etc. The topics explored included, amongst others, the Maritime Silk Road and Macao’s history and culture, the function and positioning of Macao in the development of the 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road, the development of free trade zones and collaboration between Guangdong and Macao. Professors Wen Xianyuan and Lei Heong Iok noted in their concluding remarks that the conference positively contributed to the study of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in relation to Guangdong and Macao.