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Premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, today said, during a community visit, that a brighter and better future was awaiting Macao. Macao already used to be a door between China and the world; now Macao would be able to provide further connecting roles, Premier Li told reporters this afternoon during a visit to the Ruins of St Paul’s, one of the city’s landmarks. Macao is a beautiful city with a distinctive blend of Chinese and Western cultures, the Premier noted after a tour to the Mount Fortress, a part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Macao. While there, Premier Li had a good opportunity to view Macao’s skyline and cityscape. During the community visit, Premier Li was greeted by dozens of people and had friendly conversations with some members of the public. He gave his warm greetings to residents of Macao. During his visit to the Macao Museum, Premier Li presented to the institution a calligraphy inscription in his own hand, and a scale copper model of a chariot found in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The second day of Premier Li’s Macao tour also included a visit to a local high school – Keang Peng School – a visit to a local family and a trip to Rua do Cunha. At Keang Peng School, Premier Li spoke highly of the school’s promotion of the “love for the country and for Macao” spirit. After a presentation about several inventions produced by the students, Premier Li commented that the students are the future of Macao, as well as the future of the motherland. Later in the afternoon, Premier Li received a briefing on the construction progress of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, while at the rooftop of the Macau Grand Prix control tower. Premier Li paid close attention to details of the briefing, as the bridge is a project under the principle “One country, two systems”, and is the first large-scale construction project being coordinated by the respective governments of Guangdong, of Hong Kong and of Macao. Premier Li arrived in Macao on Monday (10 October) for a three-day inspection tour.
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The 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) opened today, with Premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, delivering a keynote speech. Premier Li announced at the opening ceremony a total of 18 new measures to support the development of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), a body also known as Forum Macao. The Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Gao Hucheng, also officiated at the ceremony. In his keynote speech, Premier Li said Forum Macao offers an intangible but nonetheless effective bridge that strengthens links between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and should make even better use of Macao’s bridging role between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. The opening ceremony was held this morning at the Macao East Asian Games Dome. The Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Mr José Ulisses Correia e Silva; the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, Mr Baciro Djá; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mozambique, Mr Carlos Agostinho do Rosário; the Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic, Mr António Costa; the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Angola, Mr Abrahão Gourgel; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Services of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Mr Marcos Pereira; and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, Mr Estanislau Aleixo da Silva, made remarks at the opening ceremony following the keynote speech delivered by Premier Li. The theme of the 5th Ministerial Conference of Forum Macao is: Working Toward Stronger Sino-Portuguese-speaking Countries’ Trade and Economic Relations – Combining Efforts, Jointly Building a Platform, Sharing Fruits of Development. The Ministerial Conference aims to advance further Macao’s unique functions in connecting and boosting cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The ceremony was attended by more than 1,000 people including: members of the Central Government delegation, members of delegations from the Portuguese-speaking countries participating in Forum Macao; principal and other officials of the Macao SAR Government; members of the Executive Council; members of the Legislative Assembly; and senior officials of representative offices in Macao of the Central Government. Prior to the opening ceremony, Premier Li posed for a group photograph with the heads of delegations of the seven Portuguese-speaking countries participating in the 5th Ministerial Conference of Forum Macao. The portion of the Ministerial Conference that took place this afternoon focused on the development vision and direction for cooperation among the participating countries, in relation to the period 2017 to 2019. Delegates representing the participating countries were scheduled to sign several memorandums of cooperation. Meetings between entrepreneurs from China and those from Portuguese-speaking countries will be held tomorrow morning (Wednesday 12 October).
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Premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, today highlighted Macao’s bridging role, as he announced 18 new measures to support the development of Forum Macao.Premier Li made the announcement at the opening of the 5th Ministerial Conference of Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), known as Forum Macao.Macao’s bridging role is its “lifeblood”, and Forum Macao offers an intangible but nonetheless effective bridge that strengthens links between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, Premier Li said in his keynote speech.Premier Li said Macao would further enhance its position as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (known as the “Platform” policy) thanks to its unique advantages in language, geographic location, sound infrastructure, and in its business environment.The Central Government would give full support to Macao’s endeavours in relation to the “Platform” policy, and subsequently, its “Three Centres” for cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, namely: a convention and exhibition centre for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries; a business and trade service centre for the small- and medium-sized enterprises in China and Portuguese-speaking countries; and a distribution centre for Portuguese-speaking countries’ goods.Premier Li said he hoped the launch of construction for a complex to support trade and economic cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries – comprising a multifunctional facility covering trade cooperation and business services among other uses – would be a new landmark in the relationship between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.The Premier said he noted the member countries of Forum Macao took part in the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, and the Ministerial Meeting on Infrastructure between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, two events that would hence be held in Macao annually.In the coming three years, the Central Government would make further efforts to support the development of Forum Macao. In this regard, Premier Li announced 18 new measures, including five measures to enhance Macao’s “Platform” functions.The new measures include:- Providing Asian and African Portuguese-speaking countries participating in Forum Macao with grants in aggregate worth 2 billion renminbi to support these countries in livelihood projects such as agricultural development, trade and investment facilitation, malaria prevention and treatment and research on traditional medicines;- Providing Asian and African Portuguese-speaking countries participating in Forum Macao with concessional loans in aggregate worth no less than 2 billion renminbi, in order to promote industry connections and capacity cooperation with these countries, and to further strengthen cooperation in infrastructure development;- Writing off an aggregate of 500 million renminbi in due interest-free loans made to Asian and African Portuguese-speaking countries participating in Forum Macao;- Deploying 200-strong medical teams to Asian and African Portuguese-speaking countries participating in Forum Macao (in line with previous policy), and supporting Chinese hospitals in their efforts to develop partnerships with hospitals in these countries;- Offering training opportunities to 2,000 individuals from Portuguese-speaking countries participating in Forum Macao, as well as 2,500 Chinese Government scholarships per year to candidates from Portuguese-speaking countries participating in Forum Macao;- Encouraging companies to establish or upgrade economic and trade cooperation zones in Portuguese-speaking countries;- Helping Asian and African Portuguese-speaking countries participating in Forum Macao to develop facilities such as marine meteorological observatories to respond to marine disasters and climatic challenges;- Supporting the Macao SAR to become a financial services platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and to establish in Macao: the Association of Enterprise Directors of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries; the Center for Cultural Exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries; the Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries; and a Chinese-Portuguese bilingual talent training base.In his keynote speech, the Premier underlined the fact that the trade volume between China and Portuguese-speaking countries reached nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars last year, with China becoming one of the most important trading partners of Portuguese-speaking countries.With the help of Forum Macao, Premier Li said, China and Portuguese-speaking countries had increased exchanges on multiple fronts. He added that China was willing to work together with these countries to establish even stronger trade relations.He said China and Portuguese-speaking countries also needed to deepen political trust in one another, promote trade and investment facilitation and enhance cultural exchanges.According to the Premier, the total value of China’s imports is estimated to reach 8 trillion U.S. dollars in the coming five years, while its foreign investments would hit 720 billion U.S. dollars; and the number of outbound tourists from China would exceed 600 million. All these factors would bring enormous opportunities to businesses in Portuguese-speaking countries.
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Premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, today highlighted Macao’s bridging role, as he announced 18 new measures to support the development of Forum Macao.
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Premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, presided at a plaque-unveiling ceremony this morning for a complex to support trade and economic cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony to mark the launch of construction for the complex, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said the realisation of the project will mark a new milestone in Macao’s efforts to become such a “Platform”, said Mr Chui. The aim of the project was to speed up the realisation of the strategic goal of transforming Macao into a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (known as the “Platform” policy), said Mr Chui. The ceremony was held on the sidelines of the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), also known as Forum Macao. The complex will be built on plots C15 and C16 in Zone C near Nam Van Lake, and will occupy an area of approximately 14,200 square metres. The new facility will serve as the meeting venue for the Forum Macao. The complex will be a multifunctional facility covering trade cooperation, business services, exhibition space and training, in order to make available one-stop support and information services for businesses, residents and visitors from either the mainland, or Portuguese-speaking countries, or Macao. The complex will house an exhibition centre for food products from Portuguese-speaking countries; a business service centre for enterprises from China and Portuguese-speaking countries; a training centre; an information centre; an exhibition hall showcasing the relations between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and the cultures of those places; and a room to stage exhibitions relating to Macao’s urban development. The complex will offer either permanent or temporary office spaces for organisations and governmental institutions, including ones from Macao and ones from outside the territory. It will also make available office accommodation for associations involved in supporting the “Platform” policy and assisting the work of Forum Macao.
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The University of Macau’s (UM) Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH) has signed an agreement on teaching mobility with George Washington University (GWU) in the United States. One of the outcomes of this agreement is the teaching staff exchanges in Portuguese and English, with incoming staff initially specialising in English literature. In September 2016, the Department of English welcomed Prof David McAleavey to teach Creative Writing and American Poetry for the semester; he will be followed from January 2017 to May 2017 by Prof Patty Chu, one of the key figures in Asian-American literary scholarship. To mark the beginning of this series of exchanges, the Department of English hosted a round-table symposium on ‘Synergies in English Literature Teaching and Research’. Prof McAleavey and Prof Chu were joined by two more junior members of the GWU faculty, Assistant Professor Jennifer Chang, a rising Asian-American poet; and Daniel DeWispelare, a specialist in the interaction between literary texts and varieties of national and world English. The purpose of this symposium was to add value to the teaching exchanges by exploring shared teaching and research interests. During the symposium, UM and GWU faculty discussed their educational and research interests, and identified potential areas of collaboration, such as Asian-American literary research, Creative Writing pedagogy, Language and Poetics, and World English. The aim was to begin a series of conversations which will develop over time and which may result in the sharing of best practices in teaching and, potentially, joint research projects. The GWU faculty also took the opportunity to meet with postgraduate students in the Department of English. Jennifer Chang was interviewed by MA students for an online video database project run by Prof Glenn Timmermans, which aims to develop a resource that will be launched later this year. The visiting scholars also took the opportunity to look around the sights of Macao and to sample a wide range of cuisine found in the city. The symposium and the advent of the teaching mobility exchange together mark a key moment in the development of literary teaching and scholarship in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Scholars from UM and GWU look forward to deepening their relationships in the future.
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For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council on 11 October collects prices of fresh pork from wet markets and supermarkets for consumers’ reference. The mentioned data collected during 5 October to 11 October are used for comparing the average selling price of the same products from Zhuhai and Hong Kong. The relevant data has been uploaded to the Council’s website for consumers’ reference. fThe specific price surveys on fresh pork and vegetables are now available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), iPhone & Android ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ app, and the Council’s WeChat Account page. The relevant surveys include the average selling prices of local fresh pork and vegetables, and comparison on the respective the average selling prices rom Zhuhai, HK, and Macao. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council on 11 October collects prices of fresh pork from wet markets and supermarkets for consumers’ reference. The mentioned data collected during 5 October to 11 October are used for comparing the average selling price of the same products from Zhuhai and Hong Kong. The relevant data has been uploaded to the Council’s website for consumers’ reference.
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Co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and the Macao Artist Society, the joint exhibition “Sylviye’s Thermae” will be inaugurated on Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 10am, at the Lakeside Gallery S2 room in the Anim’Arte NAM VAN. All are welcome. The exhibition “Sylviye’s Thermae” will be held from 15 October to 15 November, with the theme “Desire”, featuring a total of 50 artworks by local artist Sylviye Lei Ieng Wai and his students. With their diverse styles, the 14 artists jointly express and present the concept of “Desire” through imagination on oil paintings. The artists come from different sectors, including medical, banking, education, governmental departments, academia and gambling. In addition, the “Walk and See—Youth Artist Art Exhibition”, which is currently on display at the Lakeside Gallery S1 room, will be extended until 31 December 2016. The two exhibitions are open daily from 11am to 10pm at Lakeside Gallery S1 and S2 rooms in Anim’Arte NAM VAN, located at Nam Van Lakeside Plaza at Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van. Admission is free.
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Premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, today said the Central Government fully affirmed the work of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).The Central Government had lately launched a total of 19 measures supporting the development of Macao. They were designed further to ensure the impetus of socio-economic achievements in Macao, and to maintain the long-term prosperity of the SAR, stated Premier Li.The motherland is, and will be always, a strong backing force for Macao’s development, added Premier Li.Premier Li made the comments when he was briefed on various aspects of the SAR Government’s work. The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, gave the briefing during a meeting – attended by the principal officials of the Macao SAR Government – held in the afternoon at Government Headquarters.During the meeting, Premier Li said he had earlier witnessed – during his visit today to the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre – a modern and prosperous face of Macao, a multicultural city. He added he had confidence the SAR Government would achieve its goals regarding the city’s economic diversification.Premier Li stated that – while viewing Macao’s cityscape from atop Macau Tower – he had envisaged the even brighter future awaiting the city.While at Macau Tower, Premier Li had been briefed on the Macao Government’s strategies to forge ahead with efforts relating to economic sustainability and economic diversification; and on the vision for Macao’s urban development.Premier Li said that, in order to cope with challenges emerging in recent years, the Macao Government, led by Mr Chui – along with the city’s residents – had constantly adhered to the principles of: “One country, two systems”; “Macao people governing Macao”; and a high degree of autonomy, while closely observing the principles of the Basic Law of Macao. The Macao Government had also constantly been working under the policy visions of “putting people first” and utilising “scientific decision-making”.In order to push forward adequate economic diversification and maintain social harmony, the SAR Government had set forth a large number of practical measures: the Central Government fully affirmed the work of the SAR Government, said Premier Li.Premier Li stated that the positive news emerging in the first half of the year, and in addition during the past two months, boosted the confidence of the people regarding the city’s development next year and onward.Premier Li also spoke of the positive contributions made by Macao’s civil servants, and conveyed to them the Central Government’s greetings.During the meeting, the Chief Executive said the launch of the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan provided Macao with fresh and innovative paths for development and added vitality to economic growth.Mr Chui said the Government had released in September Macao’s first Five-Year Development Plan, outlining: the city’s strategies in accommodating the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan; the city’s roles and contributions regarding the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative); and the city’s bridging functions between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan, the city’s blueprint for socio-economic development during the period from 2016 to 2020 inclusive, highlighted measures that would help fulfil the city’s short- and long-term development needs, he added.The Government was confident about lifting Macao’s overall competitiveness, making further use of the city’s advantages under the principle of “One country, two systems”, Mr Chui said.Under the guidance of the Central Government, the Macao SAR Government was steadfast in the implementation of: “One country, two systems”; “Macao people governing Macao”’ and a high degree of autonomy. The Government would spare no effort in maintaining sustainability and social stability, including promoting adequate economic diversification, maintaining sound public finances, and continuing social welfare programmes, the Chief Executive stated.Following the meeting at Government Headquarters, Premier Li was due to hold bilateral meetings with officials leading government delegations from, respectively, the Republic of Cape Verde, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, and the Republic of Mozambique.
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