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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today that it is Macao's aim to transform itself into a regional and international tourist destination and a hub for convention and exhibition. Mr Ho made the observations when he addressed the opening of the International Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention 2006. He said that the standard of services provided by Macao’s tourism and leisure sector would progress rapidly in the future, and other industries related to the tourism sector would also prosper, especially the business of convention and exhibition. This would provide more business opportunities in addition to the current ones, Mr Ho said.
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Information from Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Composite CPI for August 2006 was 108.75, up slightly by 0.07% over July. The increment was caused by the increase in the price indices of Housing & fuels; and Food & non-alcoholic beverages. However, the impacts were offset by the decrease in the index of Clothing & footwear. Compared with July 2006, the indices of Housing & fuels; and Food & non-alcoholic beverages increased by 0.40% and 0.18% respectively. The increases were led by higher rentals for housing, dearer charges for the services for the maintenance and repair of dwelling, rising prices of vegetables, fruit and meals bought away from home. On the other hand, seasonal sale of women’s clothing pushed the price index of Clothing & footwear down by 2.07%. The Composite CPI for August 2006 registered a year-on-year increase of 4.67%. Average Composite CPI for January to August went up by 5.56% compared with the same period of 2005. For the 12 months ended August 2006, the average Composite CPI increased by 5.54% over the previous period. In addition, the CPI-A and CPI-B for August 2006 were 109.81 and 108.42, up by 0.13% and 0.05% respectively compared with July. Starting from January 2006, the CPI has been rebased to July 2004 to June 2005. The Composite CPI reflects the impacts of price changes for the general population. The CPI-A relates to about 49% of households, which had an average monthly expenditure of MOP 3,000 to MOP 9,999; the CPI-B relates to about 31% of households, which had an average monthly expenditure of MOP 10,000 to MOP 19,999.
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The forth night of displays of Wynn Macau – 18th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest promises to be a very good representation of the Japanese and North American pyrotechnic styles. Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, known as the “United States’ pyrotechnic ambassadors”, will offer to the public at 9 p.m. a true journey across the USA. “The theme of our exhibition is Taste of America. We are bringing to Macau a style of fireworks representative of what America is: a mix of cultures. Regarding the music, it will be a journey through the different regions of the United States”, says Paul Souza, leader of the team, which is the second team from the USA participating in Macau’s contest in its eighteen years of history. Paul Souza belongs to the fifth generation of a family of Portuguese emigrants who took its pyrotechnic art to the US more than 100 years ago. The curriculum of the company is impressive and diverse: Olympic ceremonies, including Athens and Atlanta Games; major sporting events in the US, like the Super Bowl (American Football League Final); collaborations with Hollywood movies, like Matrix; opening of theme parks like Disneyland. But Souza’s trademark in the US is the spectacular exhibitions for the USA National Day, 4th of July. The Japanese Takagi Fireworks, who will present its art in Macau at 10 p.m., is also a family company. For the second time in Macau, after a participation in 2001 (2nd place), the Japanese team comes prepared to enchant the local public and fight to be the sixth team from Japan to win the Macau competition. “In Japan we don’t have any very big world fireworks producing companies, but we are well known for giving much attention to the detail on our exhibitions”, points out Masayuki Takagi, president of the company founded by his grandfather. The Japanese team stands out from its rivals in the Macau competition in terms of the equipment used to launch the fireworks - more sophisticated, enabling a stronger exhibition. On the other hand, they are the first team in this year’s contest to use fireworks launched on the surface of the water. Another interesting aspect about the team representing Japan in Macau is the fact that, besides including three Takagi generations (grandfather, father and son), it also consists of one Chinese technician and a translator from Guangxi, a province where the company has a joint venture to manufacture fireworks.
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Ministers for trade and economy from China and seven Portuguese-speaking countries will meet in Macao on Sunday to bolster multilateral economic co-operation. The triennial conference, the Second Ministerial Conference for the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (Macao), is organised by the Central Government. The Minister of Commerce, Mr Bo Xilai, and delegations led by ministerial-level officials from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor, will attend the conference and related events. The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, said that the First Ministerial Conference three years ago had strengthened the image of Macao as a trading and services platform. The goal for the Second Ministerial Conference is to review their co-operation in the last three years and to set up new objectives for the next three years. The conference will highlight Macao as a trading and services platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. A forum is designated for businesspeople from the participating countries to enhance business ties. In addition, businesspeople, representatives from international trade organisations and trade promotion institutes will also participate in the related activities.
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State Councillor and State Council Secretary General, Mr Hua Jianmin, is to visit Macao to officiate the opening ceremony of a trade meeting to be attended by ministers from China and seven Portuguese-speaking countries. The meeting, the Second Ministerial Conference for the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (Macao), is scheduled to open here on Sunday. The First Ministerial Conference was held three years ago: the goal for the second conference is to review their co-operation in the last three years and to set up new objectives for the next three. Meanwhile, many officials from the Portuguese-speaking countries attended a preparation meeting for the Second Ministerial Conference this morning. After the meeting, the Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretary to the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, Mr Wang Chengan, told the press that the Ministry of Commerce would send a delegation of more than 70 representatives to Macao. Moreover, more than 400 businesspeople from the Mainland, Macao and the Portuguese-speaking countries are expected to attend a trade forum and related activities.
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The second China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Economic Cooperation Forum (Macao) will be held in Macao on 25-26 September 2006. Ministerial-level official from both China and Portuguese-speaking countries, entrepreneurs and business organisations will participate in the forum. Under the theme of "Strengthen Cooperation, Common Development", there will be a retrospective analysis of the implementation of the “Action Plan for Economic and Trade Cooperation”, which was approved in the first Ministerial Conference. Moreover, a string of objectives is expected to be set for the next three years (2007-2009). The First China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Economic Cooperation Forum (Macao) was held in Macao in October 2003. The forum, which is held every three years, promotes trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries by having Macao as a commercial platform.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, pledged today that Macao would strengthen co-operation with Shenzhen to facilitate developments to the mutual benefit of the two cities. Meeting with the visiting Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr Xu Zhongheng, at Government Headquarter this morning, Mr Ho said Macao would achieve sustainable development while Shenzhen would have new development though mutual co-operation. Mr Ho said Macao and Shenzhen should advance co-operation at all levels in order to facilitate development that would complement one another. Both sides might firstly speed up co-operation in trade, logistics, tourism, and finance. Since Macao is developing as a business platform for China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, this might help Shenzhen to open up to overseas markets, Mr Ho said. The visiting mayor, Mr Xu, said Shenzhen had a comparatively modern passenger and cargo transportation system that could act as a bridge for Macao’s economy to enter the Mainland. Mr Xu said Macao not only has diverse international connections, but also different channels for trading, and an especially close relationship with European Union as well as Portuguese-speaking countries that could support the diversification of Shenzhen’s export trading policy. He said the two governments should capitalise on the opportunities generated by the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) to boost the their economies. After the meeting, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute signed “Agreement on strengthening Co-operation in Trade” with the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Trade and Industry; the Macao Government Tourist Office signed the “Memorandum of Co-operation in Tourism” with the Shenzhen Municipal Tourism Bureau. The Monetary Authority of Macao signed the “Agreement on Financial Co-operation” with the People’s Bank of China Shenzhen Central Branch and “Letter of intention on the co-operation in the establishment of payment and settlement system” with the Shenzhen Financial Electronic Settlement Centre. On Tuesday, the Secretariat of China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries Economic Cooperation Forum and the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Trade and Industry will also sign a co-operation agreement. Mr Xu and his official delegation are on a three-day visit to Macao at Mr Ho’s invitation.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today that Macao’s role as the mediator between China and Portuguese-speaking countries was becoming more evident, as reflected by the increase of companies setting up here. In his welcome speech at the Portuguese-speaking Countries Investment Environments and Policies Presentation held in Macao, Mr Ho pointed out that there had been an increase in the number of businesses from Portuguese-speaking countries set up in Macao this year. This showed that entrepreneurs from those countries valued the China market and approved of Macao’s role as the economic and trade platform, Mr Ho told the delegates, which included ministers from many Portuguese-speaking countries. The Chief Executive said that since the first “Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” in 2003, the Permanent Secretariat for the forum had organised a series of events in accordance with the “Economic And Trade Cooperation Action Plan”, signed upon the closing of the forum, and had achieved significant results. “Macao has been exerting its advantage to carry out its mediating role in full swing,” said Mr Ho. He said the presentation would advance the understanding in Investment Environments and Policies in Portuguese-speaking Countries, and promotes the co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. He said that the SAR Government was actively preparing for the Second “Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, which would be held in Macao next year, under the guidance and support of the Central Government. After the presentation, the ministers will go on to Xiamen for the 9th China International Fair for Investment and Trade”. During their stay in Xiamen, they will meet entrepreneurs from the Mainland and promote Investment Environments and Policies in Portuguese-speaking Countries.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah who is leading an official delegation to Brazil, arrived in Brasilia today (21 June Brazil time) and met with the Deputy Acting Foreign Minister, Mr Edmundo Fujita. During the meeting, which lasted some 50 minutes, Mr Ho said Macao and Brazil have cultural and historic backgrounds of mutual understanding and that many from Macao have settled in Brazil and became an integral part of the country. He said geographically Macao might be a great distance from Brazil, but the SAR Government would encourage Macao entrepreneurs to deepen their understanding of the country and to explore business opportunities there. Though Macao was a small market, he said, it opens doors to the South China market and markets further afield. Mr Fujita told Mr Ho that the Brazilian Government would provide more support to the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries, to be held in Macao in October next year, because the forum had a profound and special meaning. The Macao delegation also gave Mr Fujita an account of Macao’s recent social and new infrastructures developments, and said the Brazilian food industry could find great opportunities in Macao. In the evening, Mr Ho and the delegation attended a banquet hosted by the Chinese Ambassador to Brazil, Mr Zhang Yuende.
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In recent years, fusion cuisine has become a trend in every corner of the world. But do you ever notice that our Chinese and Portuguese culture in Macau have already been naturally blended into our long existed “Macanese Cuisine”? Opened up over 200 Chinese restaurants in some 30 States in America, the large-scale American chained Chinese restaurant “P.F. Chang’s China Bistro” took the opportunity and started carrying out their research on “Macanese Cuisine” in Macau. They planned to bring along a group of chefs early next year to learn the dishes and to eventually serve the Macanese dishes in 150 chained restaurants for a six months’ promotion starting September 2007. By the time, 16 million people will be able to taste “Macanese Cuisine” in America. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) welcomed a group of 5 executives from the “P.F Chang’s”. For the past few days, MGTO staffs accompanied the group and introduced the origin of different types of cuisines and wine in details. They visited Macanese, Portuguese and Chinese restaurants, IFT (Institute for Tourism Studies), local wet markets for research and also looked for “Macanese Cookbooks”. Director of Culinary Operation, Roberto de Angelis urges Macau people to protect and expand the unique delicacy. “Architecture will disappear one day, but food culture is forever. That’s why you people should really keep it on.” Corporate Executive Chef, Bob Tam left Hong Kong when he was very young. To him, the impression of Hong Kong’s food culture would be Hong Kong style café and a series of creative cuisines. “70% of our menu composed of Cantonese dishes. However, there are still lots of different cuisines to be explored in China, and we want to bring them one by one into America. At the same time, to make Chinese food culture more popularized.” Sometime ago, he raised the idea of promoting “Macanese Cuisine”. “Since there are too much in the Hong Kong style cuisine and it would be difficult to include them all in our menu. However, “Macanese Cuisine” is unique and more focused, and that’s what we want.” Regional Vice President, Glen Beasley praised the attitudes of Macau people. He shared his experience to us that when he was ordering a cocktail in a bar, the bar tender did not get what he wants and Glen showed him everything. Afterwards, the manager came to him and expressed his gratitude. “This will never happen in America. And I found that people here use humble approach to serve.” he said. Beverage Manager, Mary Melton was thrilled after visiting a Portuguese wine supplier. “Most of our guests would order wine when they dine in our restaurants. We will choose the best from Macau to bring home, and we hope our guests would be able to taste the various type of fine wine from Portugal.”
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