The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, meets with the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said he envisaged closer Macao-Hong Kong ties brought about by development, respectively, of the “Belt and Road” initiative; a city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; and the launch of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Mr Chui made the comments this afternoon during a meeting with the visiting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.
During the meeting at Santa Sancha – the official venue where the Chief Executive of Macao receives guests – the two officials exchanged views on how to boost Macao-Hong Kong cooperation; the development of cultural and creative industries; and other issues of mutual interest.
Mr Chui stated the Government was dedicated to advancing development of Macao’s cultural and creative industries, its high-end services, specialised financial services, traditional Chinese medicine and the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry, so as to foster economic diversification and balance the local economy’s gaming and non-gaming elements.
The Government’s initiatives were backed by the Central Government as a route for enhancing regional cooperation and the city’s sustainable development, Mr Chui added.
Mr Chui also briefed Mrs Lam on the Government initiatives regarding emerging industries. The Government had outlined clear objectives in the city’s Five-Year Development Plan, in particular for the cultivation of a greater number of professionals working on innovation and technology. Meanwhile, the Government had put in place some favourable policies and given strong support in terms of resources, in order to drive development of local creative industries. These policies included the setting up of the Cultural Industries Fund.
Mr Chui said he saw great potential for both cities regarding further collaboration on innovation and technology, cultural and creative industries, and in nurturing the talents of a greater number of young people. Macao was also pleased to be able to strengthen exchanges on traditional Chinese medicine, he added.
During the meeting, Mrs Lam said Hong Kong and Macao were friendly neighbours and had close ties in every field of endeavour. She said the Hong Kong Government was working on development of the innovation and technology sector, as well as creative industries; adding that she looked forward to gaining greater insight from Macao – during her visit – about the development of traditional Chinese medicine.
Mrs Lam additionally said the two SARs would jointly explore further opportunities under the “Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Bay Area”, signed in July by the National Development and Reform Commission, Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao.
Macao officials attending the meeting included: the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; and the Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Mr Fung Sio Weng.
Hong Kong officials present at the meeting included: the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki.
