The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, poses for a photograph with officiating guests and representatives of participating countries at the opening ceremony of the 17th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum & Exhibition (IIICF).
The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today said that Macao, with a view to supporting high-quality development of the “Belt and Road” initiative, would continue to leverage its unique role as a “precise connector”, providing a practical and efficient service platform for enhanced trade, economic cooperation, and infrastructure investment between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
After officiating at the opening ceremony of the 17th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum & Exhibition (IIICF) in Macao, Mr Sam met with nearly 50 guests and representatives from a number of countries attending the event.
The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government is closely aligning with the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan and is actively formulating the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR (2026–2030), said Mr Sam.
This year marked the 15th anniversary of the IIICF’s establishment in Macao, he noted. Over the past 15 years, Macao has consistently fulfilled its role as a “precise connector”, continuously improving cooperation mechanisms and enhancing professional service standards. As a result, it has become a pragmatic and effective platform for participants to strengthen collaboration.
Mr Sam said that the MSAR Government was committed to advancing multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms and standards alignment through policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, economic synergy, cultural exchange, and technological empowerment, while expanding sustainable and diversified channels for investment and financing.
He highlighted that President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that connectivity is key to the “Belt and Road” initiative, with infrastructure serving as its cornerstone. Hosting the IIICF event represented a key entry point for Macao actively and meaningfully to participate in the “Belt and Road” initiative, and to promote infrastructure connectivity with Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries.
As the IIICF’s recognition and professional standards continue to rise, so too does its international influence, said Mr Sam. Over the past 15 years, it has attracted an aggregate of more than 30,000 participants, including more than 700 ministerial-level officials, and facilitated 250 infrastructure cooperation projects worth over 120 billion U.S. dollars, delivering substantial outcomes in terms of opportunities arising from the “Belt and Road” initiative.
The Chief Executive mentioned that the MSAR Government led in April an entrepreneur delegation to Portugal and Spain, promoting infrastructure enterprises from Macao, the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the rest of the Chinese mainland in jointly exploring new markets. The visit comprehensively showcased the international influence of the “Made in China” brand in relation to construction.
Mr Sam stated that Macao would continue to explore practical infrastructure cooperation with more “Belt and Road” initiative countries and regions. This year’s IIICF also marked the first time that arrangements have been made for overseas delegates to visit the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. By highlighting the Cooperation Zone’s integrated development – through physical infrastructure connectivity and institutional connectivity – the visit aimed to help participants discover new business opportunities and better capitalise on the potential of Macao and Hengqin.
During today’s meeting, representatives from Indonesia, Peru, and Timor-Leste each delivered speeches about high-quality infrastructure development under the “Belt and Road” initiative. The officials all affirmed the profound significance of connectivity as a cornerstone for shared economic development, and recognised Macao’s potential to serve as a “precise connector” in advancing high-quality, multidimensional infrastructure cooperation under the “Belt and Road” initiative. They also stressed that through jointly building more robust transport systems and strengthening connectivity, all parties could forge higher-level partnerships based on mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
Macao officials also present at the meeting included: the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR, Mr Zheng Xincong; the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the MSAR, Ms Bian Lixin; the President of the Legislative Assembly, Mr Cheong Weng Chon; and the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Tam Vai Man.
