The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, poses for a group photograph at a reception for Consuls-General stationed in Hong Kong and Macao and a delegation from the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.
The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, attended a reception on Thursday (28 May) for Consuls General accredited to the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), and representatives of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao). During a speech, Mr Sam emphasised that the period of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, and the period of the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR, were brimming with opportunities. Therefore, the MSAR Government hopes comprehensively to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with all parties. He also expressed hope that countries and places would make good use of the synergised advantages of Macao and Hengqin, utilising the Macao-Hengqin region as a “bridgehead” and “springboard” to enter the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chinese-mainland’s market. The Macao-Hengqin platform will continue to refine its service functions, providing even higher-quality services to facilitate multi-sectoral cooperation between China and other countries.
The Chief Executive expressed his gratitude to the Consuls General and representatives of various countries for their long-standing and significant contributions to promoting economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchanges and people-to-people exchanges with China and the MSAR. He also thanked the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the MSAR, for its care, guidance and strong support for the MSAR’s external exchanges and cooperation.
Mr Sam pointed out that over the past 27 years since Macao’s return to the motherland, the MSAR had been fully, accurately and unswervingly implementing the principles of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Macao people governing Macao” and a high degree of autonomy, while maintaining long-term prosperity and stability. With the strong support of the Central Government, the MSAR Government had united and led all sectors of society to overcome various difficulties and challenges, ushering in the best period of development in the history of Macao.
The Chief Executive noted that the legal systems and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security had been continuously improved, and national sovereignty, security, and development interests had been effectively safeguarded. The economy had sustained rapid development with its GDP per capita persistently ranking among the highest in the world. Remarkable progress had been achieved in undertakings relating to people’s livelihoods, including employment, housing, education, medical services and social welfare. Residents’ sense of fulfilment, happiness and security continued to grow. The city’s diverse cultures had flourished and shown vitality, with different ethnic groups coexisting in harmony.
The MSAR Government had been actively and comprehensively implementing the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and the Basic Law of Macao. As the legal system of the MSAR continued to improve, the core value of the rule of law had been fully safeguarded, and Macao residents enjoyed a wide range of rights and freedoms in accordance with the law.
Mr Sam continued on that under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, Macao maintained its status as a separate customs territory and a free port, implemented a simple and low tax system, and boasted a free, open, internationalised and law-based business environment, making it one of the most attractive economies in the region.
The current-term MSAR Government had been actively promoting the optimisation of the business environment, accelerating the revision and updating of the legal system represented by the “Five Codes”, and proactively building a legal environment conducive to the development of key and emerging industries. The MSAR Government had continued to advance public administration reform and optimised regulatory approaches, to reduce administrative approval procedures and create a public service environment that is more business-friendly and convenient for residents.
Furthermore, Mr Sam stated, the MSAR Government had been stepping up efforts to advance the development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, actively participating in the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area, and integrally advancing the coordinated development of education, science and technology, and talent resources, thereby creating more high-quality investment opportunities, and significantly enhancing Macao’s attractiveness for investors.
The Chief Executive mentioned that while advancing high-quality development, Macao had made coordinated efforts to maintain a high level of security. It had unswervingly fulfilled its constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security. Guided by the holistic approach to national security, Macao had improved the legal system for safeguarding national security, built a strong barrier for national security, and maintained overall social stability, while creating a safe business environment for foreign investment.
Mr Sam emphasised that strengthening external exchanges and cooperation and better leveraging Macao’s role as a “bridgehead” and a “window” were important tasks for the MSAR Government. In April this year, he had led a MSAR Government delegation and entrepreneurs to Europe, with stops in Portugal, Spain, Belgium, and Switzerland, encompassing visits to European Union (EU) headquarters and to international organisations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) and UN Tourism. The overall visit yielded fruitful results in areas such as economic, trade and tourism cooperation, effectively strengthening Macao’s exchanges and cooperation with the relevant countries and international organisations. While consolidating and strengthening its cooperative relations with Portuguese-speaking countries, the MSAR will also further enhance its level of cooperation with Spanish-speaking countries, he added.
The Chief Executive also said in his speech that this year marks the commencement of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan; with the implementation of the Plan offering greater opportunities for countries across the globe. Simultaneously, the year also marks the beginning of the MSAR’s Third Five-Year Plan. The MSAR Government will actively align its Third Five-Year Plan with the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan. During the period of its Third Five-Year Plan, Macao will initiate key projects such as the Macao International Education (University) Town, the Macao International Integrated Tourism and Culture Zone, the Macao Pearl River West Bank International Air Transport Hub (Port), and the Macao Science and Technology Research and Development Industrial Park, which will provide a broader scope for further intensive cooperation between Macao and other countries.
During this important period filled with opportunities, the MSAR hopes comprehensively to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with all sides, deepen official and non-governmental exchanges and cooperation at all levels, and work together to advance cooperation in fields such as trade and investment, high and new technology, tourism, education and people-to-people exchanges, so as to achieve complementary advantages, mutual benefits and win-win results.
Meanwhile, the MSAR hopes that all countries will make good use of the synergised advantages of Macao and Hengqin in terms of policy, taxation, customs clearance and talent resources, and leverage Macao-Hengqin as a “bridgehead” and “springboard” to enter the Greater Bay Area and the Chinese-mainland market. The MSAR and Hengqin will continuously improve their platform service functions to provide higher-quality services for trade and investment, financial cooperation, cultural exchanges, talent cultivation and regional cooperation between China and other countries, Mr Sam noted.
Lastly, the MSAR Government will, as always, assist Consulates General and the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao in the performance of their duties in accordance with the law, and wholeheartedly welcomes all to visit Macao for work exchanges, tourism, and leisure.
