The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, cordially shakes hands with the President of the Parliament of the Portuguese Republic, Mr José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, during a meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, has met with the President of the Portuguese Parliament, Mr José Pedro Aguiar-Branco. They exchanged views on enhancing friendly ties between the legislative bodies of Macao and Portugal, and on Macao’s role in further deepening China-Portugal relations.
The meeting was held on Tuesday (21 April) at noon local time. The Chief Executive arrived in Lisbon on Saturday (18 April), for the first stop of a four-nation European tour.
Mr Sam expressed great pleasure at meeting again Mr Aguiar-Branco, continuing the positive atmosphere of their recent exchanges in Macao, and once again congratulated the President of the Portuguese Parliament on the successful conclusion of his recent visit to China.
Mr Sam’s own ongoing visit – with Portugal as the first stop – is the first overseas visit by representatives of the current-term Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government. The delegation included MSAR Government officials as well as entrepreneurs from Macao, Hengqin, and other places on the Chinese mainland, the Chief Executive noted. This made it a large-scale mission that underscored the MSAR Government’s strong commitment to preserving the traditional friendship between Macao and Portugal, and expanding practical cooperation, said Mr Sam. The high level, broad scope, and extensive degree of participation in the series of meetings with Portuguese officials reflected the unique and close nature of the relationship between the two sides.
Macao is a commercial and trade cooperation services platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. The ongoing visit aimed to strengthen multi-sectoral coordination with Portugal and further support the development of the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership, said Mr Sam.
The Chief Executive stated that the continued deepening of the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership has created favourable conditions and new opportunities for the current-term MSAR Government, enabling Macao to serve further as a “precise connector” between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
The MSAR Government is currently formulating the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR, while actively aligning it with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, and advancing several major development projects, said Mr Sam. He expressed hope that the Portuguese Parliament would continue to strengthen communication and exchanges with Macao’s Legislative Assembly, share legislative experience, and jointly promote the well-being of the people of both places.
President Mr Aguiar-Branco welcomed the Chief Executive and his delegation to the Portuguese Parliament. He noted that Portugal and Macao share deep historical ties, and their relationship, built on mutual trust, has stood the test of time.
The successful implementation of the “One country, two systems” principle in Macao is not only a pioneering institutional innovation for China but also an international example of harmonious coexistence between different systems, said Mr Aguiar-Branco. Since Macao’s return to the motherland, China and Portugal, as well as Macao and Portugal, have jointly upheld the principle of friendship and preserved their traditional bonds. Looking ahead, the two sides will remain close partners, he added.
Mr Aguiar-Branco recalled his recent visit to Beijing, leading a delegation from the Portugal-China Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Portuguese Parliament, during which he met with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Mr Zhao Leji. That visit clearly demonstrated the high importance China places on China-Portugal relations. Macao, as a key stop on his journey, impressed Mr Aguiar-Branco greatly with its vitality and development achievements.
He said he believed through the important platform provided by Macao, friendly China-Portugal relations will continue to deepen, and prospects for bilateral cooperation remain broad.
During Tuesday’s meeting, both sides agreed that, amid a complex and evolving international landscape, mutual trust and dialogue are especially valuable. Macao, as a city where Chinese language and the Portuguese language are widely used, is well positioned to leverage further its unique role in promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.
Also present at the meeting were: the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, Mr Yang Yirui; the MSAR Government’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms O Lam; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Chan Kak; and the Director of the Macao Economic and Trade Office in Lisbon, Ms Lúcia Abrantes dos Santos.
Other officials representing the Portuguese Parliament were: Vice-President, Ms Maria Teresa da Silva Morais; Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Portuguese Communities in the Portuguese Parliament, Mr José Cesário; President of the Portugal-China Parliamentary Friendship Group, Mr Hugo Carneiro; and Vice-President of the Portugal-China Parliamentary Friendship Group, Mr Paulo Núncio.
