News

The Joint Meeting of the University Assembly (UA) and University Council (UC) of the University of Macau (UM) for the 2009/2010 academic year opened at UM on 12 April (Monday). Dr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR, Chancellor of UM, and Chair of UA, said at the meeting that the SAR government will carry out close cooperation with the University in various areas such as employment of UM graduates, using specialists from the University, and assisting the University with the application of research results. He expressed his hope that UM can take full advantage of the more favorable environment to make greater advances, nurture more outstanding graduates for Macao and the world, and progress towards the goal of becoming a world-class university in an incremental and systematic manner. This is the first UAUC Joint Meeting since appointment of the current members of the UA and UC. Dr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR, Chancellor of UM, and Chair of UA, presided over the meeting. Dr. Chui Sai On also invited Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Mr. Cheong U, Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive Dr. Tam Chon Weng, and Chief of the Office of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ms. Cheung So Mui to attend the meeting. Dr. Chui Sai On said since implementation of the new Judicial Regime of the University of Macau in 2006, UM has launched a series of reforms, laying a solid foundation for pushing the internationalization of the University. He said as the Chancellor of the University he feels very proud of what UM has achieved. Dr. Chui Sai On said: “UM is a public university in Macao. It is also the leading comprehensive university and think tank for the local community. Therefore, it has a vital impact on the implementation of government policies as well as the realization of government objectives. The SAR government will convey the society’s expectations for the University in a clear, transparent and open manner. Last year, thanks to the effort of the SAR government, UC members and top management of the University, especially the great support from the Central Government, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted a bill to authorize Macao SAR to exercise jurisdiction over the new campus on Hengqin Island upon its completion, creating favorable conditions for the University to improve its campus facilities and increase the intake of students.” Dr. Chui Sai On further added that the SAR government will do its best to ensure that the construction of the new UM campus and the subsequent relocation will be completed according to plan. He reiterated the government’s stance on the existing campus site of UM, saying that the site will be used solely for the purpose of accommodating social and cultural activities and will not be used for developing commercial housing. Dr. Chui Sai On stressed that developing UM into a world-class university is President Hu Jintao’s expectation for the University and is also a long-term goal for the University. He expressed his hope that UM can take full advantage of the more favorable environment to make greater advances, nurture more outstanding graduates for Macao and the world, and progress towards the goal of becoming a world-class university in an incremental and systematic manner while taking into consideration the unique situation of Macao. He said the SAR government will continue to provide policy-wise and financial support to the University and will carry out close cooperation with the University in various areas such as employment of UM graduates, using specialists from the University, and assisting the University with the application of research results. He also encouraged UM to step up communication with the government and try its best to build a team of teaching staff who are familiar with the social, political and legal systems of Macao and have high levels of teaching and research abilities. He said in the future UM will enter a new stage, which makes the guidance, supervision and support from UA and UC ever more essential, especially in the development of the new campus, implementation of the “whole-person” education, execution of curricula reform, and enhancement of scientific research. Dr. Chui Sai On expressed his hope that all UA and UC members can continue to provide support to the University to ensure its steady growth. After Dr. Chui Sai On finished his speech, UM Rector Wei Zhao summarised the major tasks and achievements over the past year. Rector Wei Zhao said: “2009 represented the most important milestone in the history of the University. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus was a success, and the new campus project will bring unprecedented opportunities for the University. UM takes quality education, scientific research and social service as its mission, and its objective is to become a world-class university with distinctive regional features. To accomplish this objective, UM has established a series of strategies, including creating an ‘elite undergraduate education’ brand, building a strong faculty team through global recruitment, stepping up effort in developing characteristic disciplines, and creating an efficient and environmentally-friendly campus. Last year UM launched a series of initiatives to promote general education for undergraduate students, including the establishment and implementation of a core general education programme, the foundation of the Honours College which aims to devote all resources available to develop a select group of top undergraduate students into future pillars of the society; and the implementation of the undergraduate research programme which aims to help students lay a solid foundation for their future research. UM has also launched a series of measures to reform the teaching staff and academic affairs management systems, including the establishment of The Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement, with the aim of promoting high-quality academic research and building an internationally-recruited, high-caliber faculty team with innovative approaches to teaching and research. Through a year’s effort, UM is now progressing steadily in the quality of undergraduate education and has achieved satisfactory results in various areas such as enhancing the quality of teaching staff as well as academic and scientific research.” Rector Wei Zhao said the University could not have achieved these pleasing results without the support of the SAR government, the community, and members of UA and UC. He said he hopes people from all walks of life can continue to provide support to the University to help it reform systems, develop outstanding graduates, build the new campus, raise funds, and realize greater achievements. Encouraged by the great strides UM has made, attendees enthusiastically shared their opinions and put forward many suggestions regarding ways to accelerate the University’s progress towards the goal of joining the ranks of world-class universities. UA is the highest consultative organ of the University. In addition to hearing the annual work report presented by the Rector, it also provides suggestions regarding the overall guidelines and development plans of the University. UC is the highest collegiate organ of the University and is responsible for establishing guidelines for its development, supervising the implementation of such guidelines, and strengthening the links between the University and the community. In March 2010, Dr. Chui Sai On appointed the current members of UA and UC for a 2-year term. Current members of the UA and UC include: Fong Man Hung, Ng Fok, Stanley Ho, Lei Pang Chu, Lam Kam Seng, Siu Yin Wai, Zhou Li Gao, Or Wai Sheun, António Ferreira, Maria Edith da Silva, Ma Iao Lai, Susana Chou, José F. Pereira Chan, Leong Vai Tac, Ho Iat Seng, Joaquim Jorge Perestrelo Neto Valente, Wong Chi Seng, Wong King Keung, Liu Chak Wan, Liu Chung Laung, Cheng Kar Shing, D. José Lai, Lao Ngai Leong, Fok Chun-Wan, Kong Tat Choi, Tse Chi Wai, Lei Pui Lam, Wong Chong Fat, Ao Peng Kong, Huang Zhi Huan, Vitor Ng, Anabela Fátima Xavier Sales Ritchie, Tong Chi Kin, Kou Kam Fai, Chui Sai Peng, Au Chong Kit, Vong Hin Fai, Yeung Tsun Man Eric, Choi Koon Shum, Iao Man Leng, Chan Pak Fai, Sou Chio Fai, Vitória Alice Maria da Conceição, Wei Zhao, Simon Shun-Man Ho, Rui Martins, Alex Lai Iat Long, Zeng Lingliang, Philip Chen Chun-Lung, Timothy Alan Simpson, Rose Neng Lai, Kot Man Kam, and Chan Chi Seng.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Tourist Price Index (TPI) for the first quarter of 2010 rose by 9.40% year-on-year to 161.81. The price indices of Miscellaneous Goods; Accommodation; Transport & Communications; Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco; and Restaurant Services increased notably by 19.26%, 11.66%, 4.94%, 4.59% and 4.59% respectively, attributable to dearer prices of jewellery led by rising gold prices; substantial rise of hotel room rate, airfares, food prices, as well as higher charges for restaurant services during the Lunar New Year. On the contrary, price index of Clothing & Footwear registered a slight decrease of 0.38% year-on-year. The first quarter TPI went up by 2.04% quarter-to-quarter, of which the price indices of Transport & Communications; and Restaurant Services increased by 4.67% and 2.38% respectively. On the other hand, price index of Clothing & Footwear decreased slightly by 0.53%. The average TPI for the last 4 quarters ended the first quarter of 2010 increased by 5.83% over the previous period, with marked increase observed in the indices of Miscellaneous Goods (+14.18%); Accommodation (+5.43%); Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco (+5.11%); and Restaurant Services (+4.24%). However, price index of Transport & Communications registered a decrease of 0.56%. TPI reflects the price changes of goods and services purchased by visitors, which is compiled according to the consumption pattern of visitors. TPI covers 8 sections of goods and services, namely Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco; Clothing & Footwear; Accommodation; Restaurant Services; Transport & Communications; Medicine & Personal Goods; Entertainment & Cultural Activities; and Miscellaneous Goods. The base period of TPI is from July 1999 to June 2000.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that visitor arrivals in package tours increased by 16.3% year-on-year to 464,370 in February 2010. Visitors from Mainland China (336,551); Japan (21,944); Taiwan, China (21,456); and Hong Kong (19,922) rose by 9.4%, 17.3%, 47.2% and 5.4% respectively. Moreover, visitors from Republic of Korea (13,838), Malaysia (10,105), India (5,194) and Vietnam (5,099) also registered notable increase. In the first two months of 2010, visitor arrivals in package tours rose up by 12.9% year-on-year to 923,277. The number of Macao residents travelling outbound in package tours soared by 63.4% year-on-year to 20,198 on account of the Lunar New Year fell in February this year, with Mainland China (57.7% of total), Hong Kong (10.1%) and Japan (7.6%) being the most popular tour itineraries. In the first two months of 2010, Macao residents travelling in package tours totalled 33,040, up by 8.3 % year-on-year. Meanwhile, outbound residents travelling under individual arrangements using services of travel agencies also surged by 36.4% year-on-year to 37,475; the main destinations were Hong Kong (49.2% of total), Mainland China (26.0%) and Taiwan, China (10.4%). In the first two months of 2010, outbound residents travelling under such arrangements rose by 15.1% year-on-year to 65,946. At the end of February 2010, total number of available guest rooms of the hotel sector increased by 1,360 (+7.7%) year-on-year to 18,937 rooms. A total of 578,877 guests checked into hotels and guest-houses in February 2010, up by 12.3% year-on-year, with the majority coming from Mainland China (54.6% of total) and Hong Kong (20.7%). The average occupancy rate of the hotels and guest-houses increased by 8.5 percentage points year-on-year to 77.8% and that of the hotels reached 78.5%, with 3-star hotels leading at 82.2%. The average length of stay of the guests increased by 0.2 night to 1.5 nights. The cumulative number of guests reached 1,243,276 in the first two months of 2010, up by 19.5% over the same period of 2009. In the first two months of 2010, visitor-guests of hotels and guest-houses accounted for 59.4% of the total number of tourists, slightly lower than 60.3% in the same period of 2009.
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Due to maintenance works, the Exhibition of the Bryde’s Whale Skeletal Specimen, organized by the Maritime Museum of Maritime Administration with the cooperation from the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, held at the Seac Pai Van Park in Coloane will be closed to the public on 19th April 2010. The reopen date of the exhibition will be announced later. Apologize for the inconvenience caused.
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The Macau Food Festival was the highlight event among the promotional activities including the 2010 Travel Mart and receptions for the travel trade and media held today (13) in Seoul by the Macau Government Tourist Office to promote the tourism features of Macau. Deputy Director of MGTO, Manuel Pires led a delegation comprising 17 representatives from the Macau tourism sector to launch promotional activities in Seoul today and in Busan on April 15. Representatives from Macau’s hotels, travel agencies, airlines and MICE venues strengthened connections and discussed business opportunities with their counterparts in Seoul at the 2010 Travel Mart to further boost Macau’s tourism industry. The “Macau Food Festival” was kicked off at the MGTO-hosted dinner reception for the travel trade in Seoul tonight. The three-week long food promotion held at The Westin Chosun, Seoul features two chefs from the Westin Resort in Macau, who will present the authentic cuisines of Macau to citizens of Seoul who can get a taste of Macau from its culinary culture. Mr Pires expressed that among the appeals that Macau offers, its cuisine by itself was very much a reflection of the community’s long multicultural experience. He added that Macau was famous for its unique blend of Portuguese and Chinese cuisine, known as Macanese food, and hoped that the “Macau Food Festival”, which showcased the exquisite Macanese cuisine, would attract more Seoul citizens to visit and experience Macau. To amplify the publicity effect of the events in Korea, MGTO hosted a media luncheon on April 14 where representatives from major media in Seoul participated. Advertisements were also posted on leading tourism papers in Korea to uplift the profile of Macau as a preferred destination. The delegation will travel to Busan for another travel mart and trade luncheon on April 15, which will provide a platform for the travel trade from Macau and Busan to communicate and develop business opportunities. South Korea is the fifth largest source market of Macau. MGTO’s representative office in Korea organizes year round promotional activities to attract more visitors from Korea to the city. In the first two months of 2010, close to 58,000 visitors from South Korea visited Macau, a significant growth of 68% over the same period of last year. Currently, Air Macau operates nine flights a week between Macau and Seoul.
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Today (12 April) Dr. Stanley Ho, Lui Che Woo Foundation Limited, Macau Henry Fok Foundation, and Ms. Susana Chou each donated MOP 30 million to the University of Macau Development Foundation (UMDF) to help establish four residential colleges on the new campus. The donations will allow the University of Macau (UM) to better implement “whole-person” education and nurture outstanding graduates with leadership skills for the local community. At the donation ceremony, Dr. Stanley Ho’s representative Dr. Ambrose So; representative of Lui Che Woo Foundation Limited Mr. Francis Lui; representative of Macau Henry Fok Foundation Mr. Fok Chun Wan; and Ms. Susana Chou presented the donations to Dr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR and Chancellor of UM, who received the donations on behalf of UMDF. Dr. Tse Chi Wai, representative of the founding members of UMDF and Vice Chair of the Trustees Committee of UMDF, expressed deep gratitude to the four donors for their generous donations as well as their support for the residential colleges. Dr. Tse said: “Late last year we founded UMDF with the purpose of seeking support from the community for the development of the University. The Foundation got off to a good start with numerous donors making donations immediately after its establishment. Subsequently we launched a special fundraising activity to try to find patrons who are willing to make donations as the endowment fund for each residential college on our new campus, a patron who is willing to make a donation in the form of an endowment fund to support the establishment and development of a residential college. And today we are very pleased to announce that we have found four such patrons who have each agreed to donate MOP 30 million. Their donations mark a new milestone in the history of the local community’s support for higher education.” The donations will be managed by UMDF as a permanent fund and will be used for the sole purpose of supporting the development of UM. Allocation of this permanent fund will be based on the actual operational needs of the residential colleges, such as scholarships, prizes and awards, lectures, visits, student exchange programmes, and so on. Utilization of the donations will be carried out in the name of the donors where appropriate so that students benefitting from the fund can appreciate the donors’ benevolence and follow their examples by repaying the society in their own ways. As a token of gratitude to the donors for their generous donations, UM will name the four residential colleges as “Stanley Ho College”, “Lui Che Woo College”, “Henry Fok College”, and “Cao Guang Biao College” respectively. On the new campus, approximately ten residential colleges will be established, and each one will accommodate 300 to 500 undergraduate students. The residential college system, which focuses on “cultivating people”, and the faculty-based system, which focuses on “imparting knowledge”, will perfectly complement each other. The combination of the two systems means that each student will simultaneously belong to a residential college and a faculty. Each residential college will be inhabited by students of different disciplines and years of study, and various competitions and recreational activities will be organized to enrich students’ lives and help them acquire good interpersonal skills. A caring and stimulating atmosphere will be created to encourage cross-disciplinary interaction and free exploration of knowledge, which will in turn help students grow, broaden their horizons, and develop their creative thinking abilities. Each residential college will be a living-and-learning community that enables students to establish meaningful, lasting friendships, and such friendships will become their greatest mutual assets for their future growth. Dr. Stanley Ho now serves as a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chief Executive Officer of the Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. A staunch believer in the maxim that “one should always seek to repay the society for what he or she has gained from the society”, he has long been committed to public welfare and charitable causes, especially educational and cultural development, and has made remarkable contributions to Macao, Hong Kong and China. Dr. Ho has closely followed the development of UM, and since UM’s foundation he has served as a member of the University Council. This year he stepped down from the UC and was appointed a member of the University Assembly. He is also a co-founder of UMDF and Chair of the Trustees Committee of UMDF. For all these years he has spared no effort in pushing UM towards excellence through donations and scholarships. He often encourages young people to study hard, see learning as a lifelong process, and place the pursuit of knowledge before the pursuit of wealth because, to quote his words, “Money comes and goes; knowledge nourishes one’s soul. Wealth vanishes in the blink of an eye; the benefits of knowledge last for life.” He says he is very excited to have the opportunity to make this donation and help with the establishment of a residential college on the new UM campus. He says he hopes his donation can promote the development of higher education in Macao and help UM nurture future leaders for the local community to ensure that Macao is a place “governed by Macao people with a strong degree of autonomy under the ‘one country, two systems’ policy” as was envisioned by the Central Government. He also hopes that UM can instill a high sense of social responsibility into students so that one day they can repay the society and contribute to the harmonious progress of Macao and China. Dr. Ambrose So presented the cheque to UM on behalf of Dr. Ho. He said: “Dr. Ho always honors his commitments to the society and has set a brilliant example. Not only has he made considerable contributions to the society, but he also cares about the learning needs of the staff and their children. Deeply inspired by his example, we all share the common goal of promoting the educational development of Macao.” Lui Che Woo Foundation Limited was founded by Dr. Lui Che Woo, Chairman and founder of the Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited. A distinguished philanthropist, Dr Lui has been particularly supportive of the development of medical care, higher education, and basic education for many years. So far many organizations have benefitted from his generous donations. Dr. Lui considers contributing to the educational cause to be his mission in life because he believes that education is indispensable to the progress of all societies and that talent is the most important asset in ensuring a brighter future for the mankind. Mr. Francis Lui, Vice Chairman of the Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited, said: “It is my father’s firm belief that education underpins a nation’s prosperity and enhances the quality of its people, and that is why he always tries his best to contribute to educational development. So far his donations have helped establish 150 primary and secondary schools in the Chinese Mainland. He has also made donations to numerous key universities both at home and abroad to support their academic research, exchange programmes, and improvement of teaching facilities. He made this donation to UMDF in hopes of helping UM implement ‘whole-person’ education and nurture all-round graduates for Macao. We are impressed by the outstanding teaching methods of UM and we feel greatly honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to the educational development of Macao.” Macau Henry Fok Foundation was founded by the late Dr. Henry Fok Ying Tung, former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of CPPCC and a renowned business tycoon in Hong Kong. A distinguished philanthropist, Dr. Fok Ying Tung made immeasurable contributions to the economic and educational development of China. Mr. Fok Chun Wan, his second son, said: “My father was committed to contributing to the educational cause for one purpose—helping China grow stronger and more prosperous. We made this donation to UMDF to help with the establishment of a residential college on the new UM campus. We hope it can help UM nurture some future leaders for the country. We also hope it will encourage more people from all walks of life to follow suit and contribute to the development of whole-person education at UM.” Ms. Susana Chou served as the President of the Legislative Assembly of Macao SAR for the first three terms. Her father Mr. Cao Guang Biao is the President of Hong Kong Weng Sun Co., Ltd. and founder of Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited. Mr. Cao Guang Biao is an active philanthropist and has been particularly supportive of the educational development of China. He often stresses that, “Education is the cornerstone that underpins the prosperity of all nations.” Ms. Susana Chou inherited her father’s benevolence and has also spared no effort in promoting the development of education in Macao. After leaving her post as the President of the Legislative Assembly of Macao SAR, she founded the Tong Chai Charity Association with her own money. Tong Chai Charity Association aims to reach out to those in desperate need of help and to contribute to educational development. Ms. Susana Chou says: “The new UM campus will have a far-reaching impact on the development of higher education in Macao and China. We feel greatly honoured that UM will name one residential college after my father. We hope our donation will help UM nurture more outstanding graduates for the country and promote the development of higher education in Macao.” UM’s educational values state that the University gives priority to general education and aims to nurture outstanding graduates with professional skills, extensive knowledge, and great integrity for the society through implementing high-quality “whole-person” education for undergraduate students. The new campus which is expected to be completed within three years will bring a host of exciting new changes for the University, including a world-class learning environment and state-of-the-art facilities. These new changes will help the University improve teaching quality as well as competitiveness in all areas, thereby enabling UM to achieve the goal of becoming a world-class university. The residential college system will be piloted in the East Asia Hall on the existing campus in the 2010/2011 academic year in order to give students a taste of the multi-faceted life under such a system.
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Organised by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and co-organised by eleven chambers of commerce and trade promotion institutions from Macao, the Mainland and Hong Kong and coordinated by Macao Convention & Exhibition Association, Macau Fair & Trade Association and The Association of Advertising Agents of Macau, the 15th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) will be held at The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from 21st to 24th October 2010. Being the largest annual trade and economic event in Macao, last year’s MIF attracted exhibitors from 48 countries and regions and registered over 60,000 visits. A total of 1,032 sessions of business matching were conducted, and 60 letters of intent/memorandum/agreements were signed, amounting to approximately MOP 4.3 billion. During the 4-day event, more than 36 forums, conferences, seminars and presentations were held and attended by over 5,000 participants. To promote the convention and exhibition industry of Macao, the 15th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) would like to invite all interested and potential enterprises in the trade to participate in this international trade and economic event of Macao. The types of service which will be open for tender include the following 16 items: 1. Theme : design
2. Website: design & maintenance
3. Printed materials
4. Copywriting (Chinese) and translation
5. Mass media promotion and outdoor advertisements
6. Official hotels
7. Freight Forwarder
8. Electronic registration system
9. Standard booth
10. Common area installations (1) – convention & exhibition service counter & related facilities in common area
11. Common area installations (2) – facilities related to business matching, agreement signing, and reception in common area
12. Common area installations (3) – administrative centre, press centre and related facilities
13. Common area installations (4) – signages and related facilities
14. Common area carpets
15. Security service
16. Decorative flowers & plants Interested enterprises with valid Macao business registration which have been engaged in the respective areas for at least 2 years are welcomed to contact the MIF Administrative and Service Centre before 5:00pm Friday, 16 April, to register your interest in submitting tender for the above services and obtain information on the briefing session. For more information, please visit MIF’s website: www.mif.com.mo , or contact by phone 2882 8711 or fax to 2882 8722.
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Two projects have been selected for the Cultural Affairs Bureau Academic Research Grants supported by the Macao Special Administrative Region. The grants are aimed at supporting academic research projects in the Humanities that make a significant original contribution to the understanding of Macao, and of Macao's relationship with China and other countries. The grant regulations provide a flexible scheme for application and for the payment of grants. Applications may be submitted at any time throughout the year. The Evaluation Panel meets twice annually and applicants are informed of the Panel's decision in March or August, depending on when the application is received. The year-round application scheme allows a convenient and prompt application procedure. This semester, the following projects were chosen out of the applications received between June 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009:
Chen Wei Ming will focus on “City Management of Modern Macao (1849 - 1911). Chen received his Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong’s School of Chinese. He is now Dean of the College of Liberal Arts in Jinan University, Guangzhou, China, and a professor at the university's College of History. Chan Yu will conduct research on “Praya Grande Avenue: Past, Present and Future”. She obtained her PhD. in Urban History at the National University of Singapore and is now an associate professor of Architectural Department at the university’s School of Design and Environment.
Grantees must submit an original monograph of 120,000 words minimum and the Cultural Affairs Bureau reserves the exclusive right to publish all or part of the grantee's original monograph, for example, in the Bureau’s publication Review of Culture. For more information on the Cultural Affairs Bureau Academic Research Grants, please visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s website: www.icm.gov.mo.
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Jointly organised by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association, Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) and Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), “Low-Carbon Economy Forum”, one of the main events in the Green Forum series at the 2010 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Exhibition and Forum (2010MIECF), took place at the Sicily Room of Venetian-Macao-Resort. at 3:00 p.m today (9 April). Several Chinese government officials, experts, academics and business executives in the petrochemical and energy fields presented their views and shared their experience, programs and research results on climate change and low-carbon development and explored the role of the petrochemical industry in low-carbon in initiative drives, challenges facing the construction of low-carbon cities and the status of the long-term co-operation on low-carbon city development, between China and the United States. Low-Carbon Economy Forum was presided over by the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr. Lau Si Io, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People´s Government in the Macao SAR, Ms. Gao Yin, Chief of the Comprehensive Affairs Department of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People´s Republic of China in Macao SAR, Mr. Ma Ya’ou, President of China Petroleum and Petrochemical Association, Mr. Li Yongwu, the Representative of Mr. Xie Zhenhua, Vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, Deputy Inspector of the Department of Climate Change, Mr. Sun Zhen, Deputy Director of Personnel Division of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Mr. Ren Yong, Vice Governor of Hunan Province, Mr. Guo Hailong, Director of Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA), Mr. Cheong Sio Kei, and the Acting President of Macao Trade & Investment Promotion Institute, Ms. Echo Chan. Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Lau Si Io, Secretary for Transport and Public Works, said that the world is facing ecological and environmental problems and that the situation is becoming more and more complex. He stressed on the urgency in drawing a green policy to support sustainable development. Mr. Lau said that, late last year, at the United National Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen, Premier Wen Jiabao said that China has set the target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45 percent by year 2020, from the 2005 level. Mr. Lau Si Io said that the Macao SAR Government would fully co-operate to achieve this long-term objective, through planning and source management, so as to carry out a comprehensive environmental strategy in an orderly manner. At the forum, six speakers expressed their views on low carbon economy and shared their experience and research results with the audience. Ms. Zhang Ailing, Professor of Tsinghua University and concurrently PMO Manager, Renewable Energy Development Program, said that our country, in developing a low-carbon strategy, should firstly consider the following aspects: change the mode of development, from high energy consumption, high pollution and high emissions, low value-added carbon development model into a low power consumption, low pollution, low emission, high value-added and low-carbon development model, having as objective the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; focus on the development, utilization and innovation of low-carbon technology; afforestation; establishment of a strong organisation system: perfect the relevant laws and regulations; stabilise technological investment; implement industrial policy and related tax incentive policies to promote low-carbon industry; mobilise all forces of the community to advocate low-carbon consumption patterns. Mr. Shi Xiangping, Vice President, China National Petroleum and Chemical Planning Institute, spoke on “The Role of Petroleum and Chemical Industry in Developing Low-carbon Economy”, stressing that its positive role is to strengthen energy conservation and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from oil and chemical products among the industry operators, while providing, at the same time, relevant products and technology know-how to other industries, so as to promote the reduction of gas emissions during the economic development process. Mr. Zhang Suian, Professor of China National Bureau of Energy / China Petrol University, made an introduction on the financial subsidies available to enterprises in China for the development and use of CBM (including gas exploration). He said that the subsidy from the central government is set a standard of RMB 0.2 RMB per cut meter of coalbed methane (off net), and said that the local governments´ subsidy may be based on local conditions, having the local governments the autonomy to decide on the concrete terms and conditions of such financial subsidies. Mr. Bill Li, President, SDR Consultancy Group analysed the challenges facing low-carbon city development and the status of Sino-US Long-Term Cooperation on Low-carbon City Development. He pointed out that the major challenge for the development of low-carbon city is how to set achievable goals, executable programs and measurable results, and that for the development and construction of low-carbon city, one should focus on working closely with the existing businesses, in order to combine new energy industries with the traditional businesses. At the same time, capacity-building and public awareness are the bases for the construction of low-carbon city, according to Mr. Bill Li. In addition, Mr. John Fotheringham, Acetyl Intermediates, Global General Manager, Celanese (China) Holding Co., Ltd., Mr. Jin Teng, Section Chief, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, spoke, respectively, on “Celanese: Enhnancing Our Future Sustainability Today” and “CNOOC´s Response for the Climate Change: Policies and Practices.
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The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) urges residents not to travel to Thailand due to worsening of situation in the country, with several confrontations on the streets reported, leading to more than 100 people wounded. For Macao residents currently traveling in Thailand, please remain cautious of personal safety, and avoid protest locations. In case of any emergency, please report to the local police and contact the Chinese Embassy in Thailand - (Tel: (66)-819840658, (66)-818214771). Macao residents may
also call the Macau Tourism Hotline: (853) 2833 3000 for assistance. According to the communication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Peoples Republic of China, Mainland residents and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan may also contact the Centre for Consular Assistance and Protection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for assistance (86)10-65964086. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand had issued a travel notice to Chinese citizens on April 7 alerting that the government in Thailand had declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya. Previous travel notices issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand are still in force, as well as the advice counseling nationals to temporarily avoid traveling to the country; Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has raised the travel alert to black; GGCT is closely monitoring the situation and at the same time warns residents not to travel to Thailand. According to existing information, there is currently a tour group of 25 residents traveling in Thailand, which departed on April 7 and will return to Macao tomorrow (11). According to local travel agents there will be no tours heading to Thailand in the ensuing two days.
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