Top Zhuhai officials visit Macao

The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today that Macao and Zhuhai were interdependent and he hoped that the two cities would work closer together to enhance co-ordination and communication to their mutual benefit. He said they were interdependent ''like the lips and the teeth'' on a face, and Macao would continue to promote co-operation. Mr Ho was speaking at a meeting with a delegation of top Zhuhai officials who were visiting Macao, including the Secretary of the Zhuhai Municipal Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), Mr Deng Weilong, and the Deputy Secretary, Mr Wang Shunsheng, at Government Headquarters. Mr Ho began by thanking the Zhuhai Municipal Government for its support in many areas, which had contributed significantly to the successful implementation of ''One Country, Two Systems'' in Macao. He said areas for co-operation would continue to increase and he hoped they would explore further the methods of co-ordination and communication with greater flexibility and effect under the co-operation mechanism of the Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Joint Conference. The visiting Mr Deng, in response, said he agreed with Mr Ho and added that the two sides shared the same objectives in co-operation. The Zhuhai Special Economic Zone had been established for more than 20 years and had made significant progress. The prosperity and stability of Macao, as well as its support, had facilitated the development of Zhuhai, he said. Mr Deng became Secretary of the Zhuhai Municipal Committee of CPC last August and this was his first visit to Macao in this official capacity. He is also the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Zhuhai Municipal People's Congress. Mr Wang, the Deputy Secretary of the Zhuhai Municipal Committee of CPC, is also the mayor of the city. The delegation is scheduled to return home tomorrow.