Chief Executive leads delegation for Jiangxi

The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah left for Jiangxi this morning with a high-level government delegation on the start of a three-day visit to promote bilateral co-operation in economy, tourism and other areas. Mr Ho told the press before his departure that he hoped that the visit would further enhance understanding between Macao and Jiangxi, both of which are members of the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Region. He also encouraged the more than 60 Macao entrepreneurs who were going on the same visit to explore new business opportunities in Jiangxi. Mr Ho said there were plans to send a MSAR Government delegation to Hunan later this year, in addition to sending a delegation to Yunnan for the third Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation and Development Forum in mid-2006. Heading the entrepreneur delegation, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, said as implementation of CEPA continued, the MSAR Government had prioritised co-operation with neighbouring cities and provinces in implementing its regional co-operation policy and PPRD regional co-operation was a very important drive for Macao’s economic development. He said the bond between members of the PPRD had strengthened since they signed the “Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation Frame Agreement” and he hoped that Macao entrepreneurs would seek to strengthen trade and economic co-operation between Macao and Jiangxi during this visit. Mr Tam said Macao would also promote its role as a service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries to the whole PPRD region, and that significant results have been achieved in this aspect so far.