The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, attends a meeting in Beijing with officials from several ministries and departments and with representatives of the Government of Guangdong Province, to collect more opinions and suggestions for the initiative of the Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2020) of the Macao Special Administrative Region.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today the Government received valuable contributions and opinions from mainland officials – regarding Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan – at a meeting in Beijing. Officials attending the meeting also shared views on the following topics: Macao’s contributions to the development of the nation’s Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as the “Belt and Road” Initiative); regional cooperation, in particular with Guangdong Province; the promotion of Macao’s moderate economic diversification; and the enhancement of people’s wellbeing. Issues discussed at the meeting included how to accelerate the positioning of Macao as a world centre of tourism and leisure, and as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. Macao’s first Five-Year Development Plan would help the Government take full advantage of the principle “One country, two systems”. The Plan would better identify the city’s unique advantages, and highlight areas for further cooperation with neighbouring cities and regions, said Mr Chui. Mr Chui made the comments today in Beijing, during a meeting to discuss Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan. The Plan suggests a blueprint for the city’s socio-economic development spanning the period from 2016 to 2020. The National Development and Reform Commission hosted the meeting. The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Xu Shaoshi. The meeting was attended by representatives from: the National Development and Reform Commission; the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Science and Technology; the Ministry of Land and Resources; the Ministry of Environmental Protection; the Ministry of Transport; the Ministry of Commerce; the Ministry of Culture; the National Health and Family Planning Commission; the People's Bank of China; the General Administration of Customs; the China National Tourism Administration; the State Oceanic Administration; and the Government of Guangdong Province. The event showcased the strong support from the Central Government – including active cooperation from all relevant ministries and departments – to Macao’s socio-economic development, Mr Chui said. The meeting aimed to gather further opinion regarding how to optimise Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan, namely better to incorporate Macao’s development into the country’s 13th Five-Year Development Plan and the “Belt and Road” Initiative. Participants at the event also discussed how further to elevate Macao’s role in promoting national development. The meeting additionally aimed to strengthen coordination and communication in areas related to the Central Government’s own administrative role. How Macao could take a greater role in regional cooperation, and how to increase Guangdong-Macao cooperation were topics also included in the discussions. Mr Chui will end his three-day visit to Beijing tomorrow (17 August).