Chief Executive Chui Sai On this morning (14 October) attended the 2016 Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Cooperation Chief Executive Joint Conference in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. Speaking at the conference, he said Macao will integrate development with its unique advantages, to fully support PPRD cooperation and innovative development, and join hands to promote the “Belt and Road” initiative. At the conference, the administrative leaders and representatives of all PPRD provinces and regions delivered their speeches and exchanged views on topics including the establishment of the PPRD Cooperation and Development Fund, integration of the “Belt and Road” initiative, joint promotion of the PPRD modernised integrated transportation network, and innovation-driven industrial cooperation. Speaking at the conference, Chief Executive Chui Sai On said that Macao will actively support and facilitate PPRD cooperation and innovative development. He believes innovation is the driving force that leads to development. Macao has this year compiled its first five-year development plan, marking an important innovation in planning by the MSAR Government. According to the plan, Macao will fully strengthen its efforts in integrating with national development, and intensify its participation in PPRD cooperation to achieve fruitful results. Macao also participated in organising a delegation of the National Development and Reform Commission and PPRD provinces and regions to visit Portugal and Belgium in June this year. This is another initiative of the new cooperation model for the PPRD. On the innovative future development of PPRD cooperation, Chief Executive Chui Sai On said that Macao will firstly enhance close cooperation with the free trade zones in Guangdong and Fujian, strive to introduce innovative ideas and arrangements, promote industry matching and common progress, to contribute to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Big Bay Area. The PPRD Cooperation and Development Fund is another innovative arrangement supported by the MSAR Government, which is beneficial to deepening PPRD cooperation. Regarding joint promotion of the “Belt and Road” initiative, Chui said Macao will fully leverage the advantage of the principle of “One country two systems”, as well as the advantages in language, culture and the returning talented overseas Chinese and families, to expedite its development as a world tourism and leisure centre, and a business and trade cooperation and services platform for China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Macao will also leverage its unique advantages in integrated tourism, convention and exhibition, Chinese medicine, and cultural and creative industries, to jointly promote the “Belt and Road” initiative with other PPRD provinces and regions. Chui added that the PPRD provinces and regions should join hands to integrate tourism resources, consistently develop tourism products and routes with “Belt and Road” as the theme, and build a quality brand for PPRD multi-destination tours; deepen international cooperation, and leverage Macao’s advantages arising from its connections with global tourism organisations, to jointly promote tourism for the countries along the “Belt and Road”; and, based on the support from the United Nations World Tourism Organization for Macao’s development as a world tourism and leisure centre, provide professional training and services to talented people in the tourism industry of the PPRD, with the aim of cultivating more professional experts on “Belt and Road” tourism. Regard Macao as a platform, Chief Executive Chui Sai On said that Premier Li Keqiang has announced, at the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, a series of major initiatives to deepen cooperation and support the development of Macao. The implementation of these policies and measures will create new opportunities for Macao and other PPRD provinces and regions to participate in the “Belt and Road” initiative. Macao and its PPRD partners will strive to achieve the benefits of working together by integrating the development of Macao as a services platform for China and Portuguese-speaking countries and the “Belt and Road” initiative. At the coming Macao International Environmental Cooperation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF) next year, Macao will strive to more closely match the strategy of the “Belt and Road” initiative, to promote deepener cooperation in green products and green technology between the PPRD and the European Union and Portuguese-speaking countries.
