News

Chief Executive Edmund Ho today (17 September) met with Minister of State of the Hessen Federal State Government, Stefan Gruttner in Wiesbaden. During the meeting, both agreed to strengthen cooperation in tourism and that Macao could be a platform for Hessen to promote its tourism in China. After the meeting, Mr. Ho and the delegation went to Frankfurt to attend a business promotion entitled “Business in Macao, take a look”. The promotion was jointly organised by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Ho said in his speech that the smooth implementation of the “One Country Two System” policy in Macao after its reversion to Chinese rule in 1999, the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between Macao and the Mainland and the vast business opportunity in Pan-Pearl River Delta Region had made Macao an ideal place for German small and medium-size enterprise to invest in, added that Macao welcomed all German enterprises to invest in Macao and to use Macao as a platform for the Mainland market. After the promotion, Mr. Ho and the delegation visited the city of Frankfurt, which is the last stop of his six-day visit to Germany, the delegation left Frankfurt in Friday afternoon Frankfurt time to return to Macao.
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Chief Executive Edmund Ho said that Macao and Leipzig were similar and compatible with each other in many aspects and could form a long-term strategic partnership in the future. Mr. Ho met with the press after a breakfast meeting with the Mayor of Leipzig, Mr. Wolfgang Tiefensee, describing the meeting as friendly and extremely constructive. He said they agreed that the two cities could establish a strategic partnership since the two cities were extremely compatible and both cities had far-reaching potential in its own region. Mr. Ho said that Leipzig had profound basis in technology, especially in the field biochemical and biotechnology which would be very useful for Macao and the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region as several provinces in the region had rich sources in traditional Chinese medicines and the technology from Leipzig could help developing traditional Chinese medicines into the form of medicines accepted internationally. He said that Macao could also be the showcase in the Pan-Pearl River Delta for environment protection technology and advance green industry from Leipzig. Mr. Ho said that he had proposed to the mayor an invitation for the Orchestra of Leipzig and a boy’s choir from Leipzig to perform in the Macao International Music Festival in next year because he believed that cultural exchanges between the two cities would be very important in the future. He said that to be sister cities was one of the options for the two cities to form a close partnership, adding that Macao would leave the liberty for Leipzig to consider the proposal, and it must also went through proper diplomatic channels.
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Chief Executive Edmund Ho described his official visit to Germany as fruitful, saying that it strengthened Macao’s role as the platform in South China and by that Macao could contribute a little in the Sino-Germany relation. He said that one of the most encouraging result of this visit was that the Federal Government and many state governments were encouraging their Small and medium-size enterprises to use Macao as a platform for the Pan-Pearl River Delta region, adding that he believed Macao has much to offer in this respect and by doing that would strengthen Macao’s position as a platform which the SAR had worked hard to develop. He emphasised that the relation between China and Germany was really well and Macao could also play a small role to contribute to this relation. He said that the visit helped to establish close ties between Macao and some German cities which not only was helpful to industrial and commercial exchanges but would also benefit to the diversification of industry in Macao and the city’s development in many aspects such as environmental protection, public transportation system and urban planning.
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Chief Executive Edmund Ho said at Leipzig that Macao and Leipzig had the conditions to be sister cities. Mr. Ho arrived at Leipzig on the third day of his German visit. He attended a banquet host by the Leipzig Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday (15 September) evening (Leipzig time) and took a sight seeing tour in the old part of the city afterward. He said that Leipzig was impressive with its unique architectures and friendly people. He said that Leipzig and Macao are similar in size and economic structure and the two cities may hopefully form closer cooperation ties in the future. Mr. Ho said that he had proposed to the Mayor of Leipzig, Mr. Wolfgang Tiefensee during the dinner that the two cities be sister cities. On Thursday morning, Mr. Ho met with Mr. Tiefensee over breakfast and then visited a manufacturing plant of Porsche. In the Afternoon, he will visit the Leipzig Fair and then leave for Wiesbaden where he will meet with the Minister of State of the Hessen Federal State Government, Mr. Stefan Gruttner on Friday Morning.
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Chief Executive Edmund Ho today (15 September) continued his visit in Berlin where he meets with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economics and Labour, Dr. Alfred Tacke. Mr. Ho updated Dr. Tacke on the latest development of China and Macao in which Dr. Tacke had shown much interest. Mr. Ho reiterated in the meeting that Macao could be a platform for German enterprises to enter the Mainland China market, especially the Pan-Pearl River Delta Market. During his second day in the German Capital, Mr. Ho had visited the German National Parliament, and the Reichstag building. In the afternoon, Mr. Ho and the delegation left Berlin for Leipzig where they attended a banquet host by the Leipzig chamber of Commerce. Tomorrow (16 September), Mr. Ho and the delegation will meet with the mayor of Leipzig, Mr. Wolfgang Tiefensee and businessmen from Leipzig. They will also visit a manufacturing plant of Porsche in Leipzig and the Leipzig Fair.
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Chief Executive Edmund Ho urged German entrepreneurs to visit Macao when he speaks at a luncheon hosted by “Invest in Germany” a state-own investment and trade promotion institute in the German capital. Mr. Ho delivered a speech at the luncheon, saying that Macao had benefit from the smooth implementation of the “One Country Two System” policy since its reversion to Chinese rule in 1999. He said that Macao’s tourism, for instance, had developed vigorously and tourist arrival for this year was expected to exceed 12 million. He told the German enterprises that Macao is not just a tourism and gaming destination but also an important business-service platform that could help foreign small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) to enter the Mainland China market. He said that he anticipated cooperation between SMEs from Macao and Germany and promotion of cooperation’s in the areas of culture and tourism. The parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and labour, Dr. Ditmar Staffelt told the guests that Macao was an important element of Germany’s economic relations with East Asia, and Particularly with China. He also said that he hope Macao could help German SMEs to enter the China Market.
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Chief Executive Edmund Ho today (14 September) met with German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, who expressed interest in the possible inclusion of Macao into his China visit next year. On the second day of his visit in Germany, Mr. Ho arrived in Berlin to meet with the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and the Foreign and Security Policy Adviser to the Federal Chancellor Bernd Mutzelburg. Mr. Ho told the press after the meetings that he was “thrilled” by the Chancellor Schrolder’s interest to visit Macao next year. Mr. Ho also said that he had discussed with Mr. Mutzelburg about cooperation between Macao and Germany in different levels, such as launching a series of co-operation programme in the future; Macao’s role as a platform for German small and medium-size enterprises to enter the Pan-Pearl river delta market which had a collective population of 400 million and to use Macao as a “showcase” for German technology and science such as environmental-protection technology. Mr. Ho also paid a courtesy call on the German foreign ministry’s state secretary, Jurgen Chrobog, and attended a banquet hosted by China’s ambassador in Germany, Ma Canrong. Tomorrow, Mr. Ho and the delegation will meet with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economics and Labour, Dr. Alfred Tacke.
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Chief Executive Edmund Ho began his official visit to Germany today (13 September) in Munich, the capital of Bavaria where he met with Bavarian officials and visited two of the leading enterprises there. In the morning, Mr. Ho met with the Vice-minister of the Bavarian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology, Mr. Hans Spitzer. Mr. Spitzer said that there were some 50,000 small and medium enterprises in Bavaria now and they were all keens to enter the Chinese market. Although Hong Kong and Singapore were the traditional hub for those enterprises in the Asia market, they would certainly consider Macao for the Mainland China market in the future as Macao provides the advantage of lower operation cost and an up-to-date telecommunication systems. He said that he would consider including Macao in the visit of a Bavarian trade delegation to Asia scheduled for next year. Chief Executive Edmund Ho said that all Bavarian or German enterprises were welcomed to use Macao as a platform to enter the Mainland China market, especially the Pearl River Delta and the Pan-Pearl River Delta region. At the same time, the SAR was glad to help Bavarian enterprises to set up offices in Macao to strengthen trade links. He also said that enterprises in the Pearl River Delta were moving toward the direction of high technology and the advance technological background of German enterprises would be in great demand there. Later, Mr. Ho and the delegation visited Giesecke & Devrient Co. and Siemens AG, which were contracted to develop the computer system for electronic identity card to the SAR Government. In the Afternoon, Mr. Ho had a half-hour meeting with the Bavarian Premier Edmund Stoiber. Premier Stoiber was briefed about the latest development of Macao and he said that Bavarian enterprises wished to enter the China Market through Macao. Mr. Ho said that Macao was developing into a service hub between foreign countries and China, especially the Pearl River Delta so the SAR was willing to help all Bavarian Enterprises to enter the China market. Tomorrow, Mr. Ho and the delegation will go to Berlin and meet with the Federal Chancellor, Mr. Gerhard Schroeder at the German capital. They will also meet with the State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Jurgen Chrobog.
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Chief Executive Edmund Ho today started his two-day visit in Xiamen, where he will attend the opening of the 8th China International Fair for Investment and Trade tomorrow. Mr. Ho met with Vice-premier Wu Yi late this afternoon and Ms. Wu congratulate him on his re-election, also at the meeting were commerce minister, Mr. Bo Xilai and director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr. Bai Zhijian. Mr. Ho also met with Governor of Fujian Province, Mr. Lu Zhangong and vice secretary of CPC Fujian Committee, Mr. Huang Ruilin. Mr. Ho will attend the opening of the 8th China International Fair for Investment and Trade Tomorrow in the Morning.
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The Secretary for Economy and finance, Francis Tam today forecasted a two-digit growth in the economy as recent statistics revealed growth in many sectors besides rapid growth in gaming sector. The statistics and census department recently announced a 47.5% GDP growth in the second season of 2004, and a 36% growth in the first six months. Mr. Tam said that the 47.5% growth was due to a low record in last summer, when SARS hits the neighbouring regions and thus hindered the Economy of Macao. He disagreed with the opinion that the gaming was the only industry that enjoy significant growth in Macao, saying that statistics had shown that many sectors, including merchandise exports, public investment in large-scale construction project and tourist spending had also contributed in the growth. He predicted a two-digit GDP growth for the year-round performance but expressed reservation about the prediction that the growth would exceed 30%. He also said that the government was monitoring Macao’s rapid economic development to avoid “risk situations or abnormal situations “ that would affect the livelihood of the population or the objective of sustainable development; however, the Government would always act in line with free-market principles.
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