The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, cordially shakes hands with the Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr Chen Rugui, at the Shenzhen-Macao Cooperation Conference 2019.
Macao looks forward to extending ties with Shenzhen Prefecture, in view of Shenzhen’s strengths in science and technology and innovative industries; and in a bid to advance development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area).
At today’s Shenzhen-Macao Cooperation Conference 2019, the two sides signed a total of three agreements regarding respectively: legal cooperation; internship and employment in Shenzhen for Macao young people; and cooperation on cultural and creative industries.
The Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Mr Chui Sai On, delivered a speech at the Cooperation Conference, an event held at the Macao SAR Government Headquarters. A Shenzhen Government delegation led by the Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr Chen Rugui, attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the Secretary of Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR, Mr Leong Vai Tac, and Vice Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr Ai Xuefeng, reviewed progress of major initiatives implemented in recent years.
In his speech, Mr Chui outlined the unique respective roles of Macao and of Shenzhen. The latter – as a special economic zone and a leading contributor to the country’s reform and opening-up policy – had added “Shenzhen speed” and the “Shenzhen model” to the country’s progress, he noted.
In the current important period of further reform for the country, the holding of the Cooperation Conference helped formulate an innovative and open model for Shenzhen-Macao collaboration. The goal was to create a fresh path for coordinated development, stated Mr Chui.
Addressing in the Cooperation Conference, Mayor Chen stated Macao and Shenzhen retained a close and long-standing relationship regarding cooperation. This was via a number of mechanisms, including the Shenzhen-Macao Cooperation Conference. Such a relationship fostered economic development for the two cities and social well-being for the people in the two communities.
The Mayor also mentioned that Macao and Shenzhen had developed a solid foundation for cooperation in economic and trade affairs, science and technology, cultural issues and youth exchange.
After the Cooperation Conference, Secretary Leong and Mayor Chen briefed the press regarding the latest progress on some existing projects and the direction of future cooperation.
Secretary Leong pointed out that Shenzhen played an important role for the country in terms of leading innovation on regulations and laws. Having an agreement covering legal cooperation between the two cities would help Macao better prepare its legal system to help promote greater frequency of movement of people, goods, capital and information within the Greater Bay Area.
Today’s agreement on cultural and creative industries would help promote commercialisation of that sector in Macao. An agreement on youth affairs would offer Macao young people more career opportunities as they sought to engage closely with the country’s development in general and the Greater Bay Area in particular.
Mayor Chen told reporters that the Greater Bay Area initiative created fresh opportunities for Shenzhen-Macao cooperation. He hoped the two governments would work more closely in order to: integrate different mechanisms for supervision of services; promote closer cooperation on legal affairs; extend to Shenzhen the internationalised commercial services offered by Macao; and promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the two places.
Macao officials attending today’s Shenzhen-Macao Cooperation Conference included: the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Chief of Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Teng Nga Kan; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; and the Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Ms Lei Ut Mui.
The Secretary General of the Shenzhen Government, Mr Li Tingzhong; and the Director of the Qianhai Authority, Mr Du Peng, also joined the meeting.
The Shenzhen-Macao Cooperation Conference was established in 2006 as a platform for annual meetings between officials from Macao and Shenzhen.
