Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On meets with the Secretary of the Zhejiang CPC Provincial Committee, Mr Xia Baolong, in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said the Zhejiang-Macao co-operation had promising prospects in maritime economy and talent cultivation to foster development of economy, culture, and education for both places. Mr Chui told the Secretary of the Zhejiang CPC Provincial Committee, Mr Xia Baolong, in a meeting held today in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province. During the meeting, both parties agreed to set up a communication mechanism for processing substantive co-operation. Mr Chui said the two-day visit was fruitful, especially having known there were ties between Zhejiang and East Timor in deep-sea fishing. Macao, as a commercial and trade co-operation service platform between China and the Chinese-speaking countries (“platform”), would take advantage of the China-Portugal development fund to further foster the deep-sea fishing industry between Zhejiang and the Portuguese-speaking countries, he said. The Government would make more efforts to diversify local economy structure, boost regional co-operation, accommodate development opportunities brought by the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, especially when Macao’s management role over its customary waters would be defined by the Central Government before this year, he said. Mr Xia briefed Mr Chui on Zhejiang’s latest development on maritime economy. He said the Central Government paid close attention to maritime economy in Zhejiang, especially its fishing industry and ship building industry; Zhejiang government would bolster co-operation with Macao in expediting development of Zhoushan new area. Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, who was also in the meeting, said the successful experience of Zhoushan might serve as a reference to Macao. Specifying Macao’s jurisdictional role in its customary waters, the development as a world centre of tourism and leisure (“centre”) and the platform, the establishment of cruise terminal and promotion of cruise travel might bring new opportunities to sustain the development of Macao’s coastal economy. Macao could play a role of introducing and referring technology between Zhejiang, European Union and Portugal, under the framework of “centre” and “platform”, Mr Leong added. Before the meeting, Mr Chui visited a petroleum storage facility and a deep-sea, offshore fish farm in the morning. Officials accompanying Mr Chui in the meeting included the Director-General of the Macao Customs Service, Ms Lai Man Wa; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Director of the Marine and Water Bureau, Ms Wong Soi Man; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; the President of Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng; and the Director of Policy Research Office, Mr Lau Pun Lap, together with the Deputy Governor of Zhejiang, Mr Sun Jingmiao; and the Secretary of the Zhoushan CPC Municipal Committee, Mr Zhou Jiangyong.