The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, delivers a speech at a thematic forum on people-to-people connectivity under the second edition of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held in Beijing.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today highlighted the depth of Macao’s strength at boosting people-to-people exchanges; a way of contributing to development of the country’s “Belt and Road” initiative.
Mr Chui was speaking this morning in Beijing during a themed forum within the second edition of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The theme of the particular session was people-to-people connections.
Macao was dedicated to seizing opportunities arising from development of the “Belt and Road” initiative while pushing forward the city’s strategic positioning as a world centre of tourism and leisure.
In his address, the Chief Executive detailed how Macao enjoyed profound advantages in relation to cultural exchanges, development of traditional Chinese medicine, and access to a robust network of returned overseas Chinese. He highlighted how the city was striving to create synergies between these strengths in order to bolster its role in advancing the “Belt and Road” initiative.
Macao had always been adhering to the principle of “serving the country’s needs, delivering Macao’s strengths” in its efforts to assist in the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative.
Macao was additionally involved in efforts to consolidate major cooperation projects outlined in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Meanwhile, Macao was also establishing the basis for multicultural exchange and cooperation, with an emphasis on Chinese culture, Mr Chui added.
In the afternoon, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, attended another themed forum within the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The topic was trade connectivity, a major goal envisaged under the “Belt and Road” initiative.
During that themed forum, Mr Leong talked about Macao’s efforts in contributing to development of the “Belt and Road” initiative via optimising the city’s strategic role as a commercial and trade cooperationservice platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Mr Leong mentioned how Macao was working to boost ties between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in relation to production capacity, investment and trade issues, human resources, and financial integration. By doing so, Macao would be able to contribute further to the country’s high-quality efforts at opening up development; and to the country’s multilateral cooperation in terms of commerce and trade.
Secretary Leong also shared information about three routes proposed to address to advance its role regarding economic and trade cooperation. This would be with the aim of helping mainland businesses to explore opportunities in Portuguese-speaking countries; and businesses in Portuguese-speaking countries to explore such opportunities in mainland China.
The proposed routes mentioned by Mr Leong were: mainland China-Macao-Portugal-EU; mainland China-Macao-Brazil and Latin America; and also mainland China-Macao-Mozambique and Angola-Africa.
Aside from attending at the two themed sessions mentioned, the Macao delegation was also present at other themed forum sessions within the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Topics of the other forum sessions attended by the delegation were: clean Silk Road – a reference to ethical issues regarding advancement of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, also known as the “Silk Road”; overseas economic and trade cooperation; think tank exchange; policy connectivity; financial integration; the digital Silk Road; sub-national cooperation; infrastructure connectivity; and paths to innovation.
While in Beijing, the Chief Executive will attend tomorrow’s opening ceremony of the second edition of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and its associated high-level meeting.
