The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, meets with officials from neighboring countries and mainland cities invited to Macao for the fourth edition of the “Mayors’ Visiting Program”.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said the “Mayors’ Visiting Program” was conducive to closer international cooperation among those involved, with more reciprocal benefits jointly contributing to the sustainable development of the global economy.
Macao would spare no effort to serve the “Belt and Road” initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, thereby advancing Macao’s contributions to new international cooperation, that would be of mutual benefit to those involved.
Mr Chui made the comments as he met this morning with a delegation that was part of the “Mayors’ Visiting Program”. The Program had invited officials from 14 countries neighbouring China – i.e. Laos, the Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Russia, Brunei and Philippines – and from six cities on the mainland.
The Program is co-organised by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR.
Mr Chui explained Macao’s strategic roles were, respectively, as a world centre of tourism and leisure, and as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (collectively known as the “Centre and Platform” policies). These roles were complementary to Macao’s participation in the development of the Greater Bay Area, and helped boost closer ties between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, he added.
Meanwhile, Macao’s unique strengths helped reinforce development of the Greater Bay Area, a world-class city cluster of 11 metropolitan areas in China – inclusive of Macao – in advancing cooperation in matters such as economic and trade, culture and tourism.
Speaking at the meeting, the Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Mr Ye Dabo, said the greater number of participants in this edition of the “Mayors’ Visiting Program” reflected Macao’s platform roles – in terms of the city’s linkage to the mainland, and to neighbouring countries – and showed Macao had increased its influence in a regional context.
The “Mayors’ Visiting Program” was set up to promote closer ties and practical cooperation among participating economies in relation to trade, cultural matters, education and tourism, Mr Ye added.
The head of the delegation and Governor of Savannakhet Province of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mr Santiphab Phomvihane, spoke highly of the “Mayors’ Visiting Program”, which he said brought together civic leaders to exchange views on investment, trade and tourism development.
Mr Phomvihane gave a presentation on his province, including the advantages of its geographic location; its strategic development as Laos’ first special economic zone to attract a significant amount of foreign investment; and the Laotian government’s effort to promote tourism under the “Belt and Road” initiative.
Also present at Friday’s meeting was the Mayor of Zhuhai, Mr Yao Yisheng. He highlighted a series of factors that had given rise to mainland-Macao ties that advanced the country’s strategies for promoting multilevel and wide-ranging opening up policies. Favourable factors included: strengthened promotion of the “Belt and Road” initiative, the soon-to-be-launched Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and rapid development of transport infrastructure on the mainland.
Mr Yao added that a development plan for the Greater Bay Area – expected to be launched soon – would provide a major opportunity for mainland cities to engage with Macao. Zhuhai would work more closely with Macao in order to create further synergies in sectors such as economics and trade, tourism and cultural cooperation.
Officials taking part in the “Mayors’ Visiting Program" were: the Governor of Savannakhet Province of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mr Santiphab Phomvihane; Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Mr Park Jeong; the Minister for Lands & Physical Planning and Minister for APEC (the Asia-Pacific Cooperation forum) of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Mr Justin Wayne Tkatchenko; the Deputy Secretary of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Thai Nguyen Provincial People's Committee of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Mr Vu Hong Bac; the Vice Governor of the Municipality of Phnom Penh of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Mr Nuon Pharat; the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Local Government, Housing and Environment of the Republic of Fiji, Mr Joshua Wycliffe; the Deputy Governor of North Sulawesi Province of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr Steven Octavianus Kandouw; the Director of the Investment Promotion and Protection Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr Esenkul Momunkulov; the Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City of Nepal, Mr Chiri Babu Maharjan; the Mayor of the City District Government of Peshawar of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr Muhammad Asim Khan; the Chairman Gwadar Port Authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr Dostain Khan Jamaldini; the Chairman of Advisers to Governor of Bangkok of the Kingdom of Thailand, Mr Vallop Suwandee; Special Representative of Mayor of Moscow of the Russian Federation, Ms Pasuginova Maria Germanovna; the Chairman of Kuala Belait & Seria Municipal Board, Ministry of Home Affairs of Brunei Darussalam, Mr Ridzuan Bin Haji Ahmad; and the Municipal Mayor of Floridablanca of the Republic of Philippines, Mr Darwin Ronquillo Manalansan;
Officials from the mainland were: the Secretary of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and Mayor of Zhuhai, Mr Yao Yisheng; Deputy Mayor of Hangzhou, Mr Chen Xinhua; member of the Standing Committee of CPC Harbin Municipal Committee and Deputy Mayor of Harbin, Mr Zhang Wanping; Deputy Mayor of Xiamen, Mr Han Jingyi; member of the Standing Committee of CPC Yangzhou Municipal Committee and Deputy Mayor of Yangzhou, Mr Chen Yang; and Deputy Mayor of Sanya, Mr Dai Yuming.
Macao officials attending the meeting included: the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; the Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Ms Lei Ut Mui; the President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng; the Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ms Mok Ian Ian; and Acting Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Mr Cheng Wai Tong.
The fourth edition of the “Mayors’ Visiting Program” has been taking place in Macao from 19 to 21 April. During their stay in Macao, officials were scheduled to meet with representatives of, respectively, the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute.
