(AFP) – Oct 29, 2009

HONG KONG — China plans to turn a sparsely populated island next to the gambling haven Macau into an international tourist and technology hub, a report said Friday.

Officials told investors and developers in Hong Kong they want Hengqin's population to skyrocket from 4,000 now to 200,000 by 2020 with resorts and villas, golf courses and software centres, the South China Morning Post said.

"The approval of Hengqin has a very important strategic meaning," Fan Hengshan, director of the National Development and Reform Commission's regional economy division, was quoted as saying.

"This is a new creative model, to bring out the best features of Guangdong (province), Hong Kong and Macau."

The plan for Hengqin -- three times larger than Macau but with a fraction of its population -- was aimed at drawing more tourists to the area with non-gambling activities, the Post said.

Macau is the only city in China that allows casino gambling and it has overtaken Las Vegas in terms of gaming revenue.

A Chinese firm is already building a 10 billion yuan (1.5 billion dollar) resort on the island's southern tip in a bid to attract more than 10 million visitors a year, the paper said.

"Unlike Las Vegas, Macau is not a family place. Hengqin could offer other forms of tourism, like theme parks and hiking," Courtney Davies, business development manager of architectural firm Arquitectonica, was quoted as saying.

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