The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, meets with Deputy Secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr Guo Yonghang, at the Government Headquarters in Macao.
The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, met with Deputy Secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr Guo Yonghang, to exchange views on Macao and Guangzhou cooperation in support of the development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
In the meeting held on Tuesday (14 February) at the Government Headquarters, the Chief Executive expressed appreciation to Guangdong authorities for their support regarding various endeavours by the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR). He noted that Mr Guo – as the secretary of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee before assuming his current role – had helped set up in 2020 a joint COVID-19 prevention and control mechanism for Macao and Zhuhai, thus laying a solid foundation for the work done over the past three years to counter the pandemic.
Mayor Guo noted that the MSAR Government, led by Mr Ho, had pursued a pragmatic approach to governance and to the “One country, two systems” principle, in order to ensure social stability and progress in various sectors. The two officials had formed a close partnership stemming from the setting up of the joint prevention and control mechanism for Macao and Zhuhai. Macao and Guangzhou had profound ties too, said Mr Guo, noting the Chief Executive had provided valuable insights to the Guangzhou authorities when the latter city was affected by COVID-19 outbreaks in 2022.
In Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Ho said the MSAR Government had immediately launched a series of activities and measures to attract tourists to Macao, following the optimised travel measures effective from 8 January, encouraging exchanges between people in mainland China and the MSAR. With the orderly and healthy development in the tourism and entertainment industries, the MSAR Government was confident that Macao would see gradual recovery.
The recent promulgation of the Regulation for Promoting Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin would provide institutional protection for long-term development of the Cooperation Zone, said Mr Ho. To make up for time elapsed during the pandemic, the MSAR Government would spare no effort to expedite, at full speed, the development of the Cooperation Zone, to complement Macao’s adequate economic diversification.
The Chief Executive further stated there were huge opportunities in Guangzhou’s Nansha district. He added that the cooperation mechanism for Macao and Guangzhou would strengthen bilateral ties, and create synergy for the development of the Cooperation Zone.
During the meeting, Mayor Guo briefed Mr Ho on socio-economic developments in Guangzhou. Under the framework of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou and Macao would foster cooperation in Nansha.
Guangzhou would adhere to the principle “serving Macao’s needs, delivering Guangzhou’s strengths”, so as to support Macao’s development and the construction effort in the Cooperation Zone, added Mr Guo.
The Chief-of-Office of the MSAR Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Hoi Lai Fong, and leading officials of Guangzhou authorities attended the meeting.
