MACAO -- A general plan for developing China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) during the 2020-2040 period was released on Monday, according to the SAR government's Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau.

According to the plan, which will take effect on Tuesday, the land of Macao will be divided into 18 categories based on the current demographic features, including areas for residences, businesses, industries, tourism and entertainment, public facilities, ecological conservation, public infrastructure, green space and public open space.

The plan highlights the need to position Macao as a center city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, enhance its international and regional status, deepen spatial functions, and advance the general plan for building the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, Zhuhai city, which is just across Macao in the mainland.

The plan is committed to promoting integration between Macao and the other parts of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and industrial diversification, while conserving the SAR's historical and cultural heritage.

It is also aimed at building Macao into a global center for tourism and leisure and a beautiful home for local residents.