Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, meets with guests.
The Government hopes to take advantages of the 6th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum to leverage its bridging role in fostering the construction of international facilities and investments worldwide. The Forum brings significant development opportunities to Macao, in line with the country’s increasing emphasis in infrastructure. This is according to the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, who was speaking at a meeting with more than 40 officials from 31 countries and areas on 4 June, ahead of the opening of the Forum. Mr Leong said the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (“Belt and Road”) and establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank also brought new opportunities to Macao in regional co-operation. Both the country and Macao were experiencing the “new normal” in economic development, the Government would step up its efforts to transform Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure and a commercial and trade co-operation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries. Deputy China International Trade Representative of the Ministry of Commerce, Mr Zhang Xiangchen, expressed his gratitude to the Macao Government for organising the Forum and said “Belt and Road” would bring opportunities in international infrastructure and investments. This year’s Forum is held on 4-5 June with the theme “Regional Economic Integration Spurs New Development of International Infrastructure Co-operation”. As the host of the Forum for the fourth consecutive year, the Government expected it to create a platform for international infrastructure and bring in more elements in Macao’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions) industry. Officials in the meeting included the Vice President and Minister of Finance of Costa Rica, Mr Helio Fallas Venegas; the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development Bahamas, Mr Philip E. Brave Davis; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao, Mr Yao Jian; the Director of the Macao Economic Services, Mr Sou Tim Peng; and representatives from the mainland, Antigua and Barbuda, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guinea-Bissau, Fiji, Maldives, Honduras, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Myanmar, Niger, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, South Sudan, East Timor, Britain, Uganda, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Zambia.