A delegation under the “Mayors’ Visiting Program” had the chance today to gain a better understanding of the latest developments in Macao relating to economic and trade matters, cultural policies and promotion of tourism.
The fourth edition of the “Mayors’ Visiting Program” involved civic leaders from 14 neighbouring countries – i.e. Laos, the Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Russia, Brunei and the Philippines – and from six cities on the mainland.
The Program is co-organised by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR.
In a morning meeting at the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), the President of the Administrative Committee of the Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng, said the Program had facilitated closer exchanges between Macao and the economies of the participating places, attracting in turn further engagement from the delegates’ respective nations in terms of economic and trade departments, associations and enterprises joining Macao’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) events.
Macao’s involvement in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area would offer significant opportunities not only via cooperation with the other 10 cities involved in the scheme, but also with enterprises from foreign countries. Macao’s role as a service platform for expanding business cooperation would create greater and mutual benefits for Macao and neighbouring countries and places, added Mr Cheong.
In a separate meeting between the “Mayors’ Visiting Program” delegation members and the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Bureau’s Director, Ms Mok Ian Ian, gave a presentation on Macao’s cultural policies – including efforts to protect cultural heritage and ensure a robust cultural sector – as well as giving highlights of this year’s work.
Ms Mok stated a new cultural festival to be held in July would consolidate the city’s platform roles for promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Following Friday’s meetings with IPIM officials and Cultural Affairs Bureau officials, the delegation met with the Macao Government Tourism Office. The Director, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, briefed the visiting delegation on Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan, the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan, and the Government’s effort to promote tourism activities that utilise digital technology.
Ms Fernandes also shared with the delegation the Government’s insights regarding how to transform Macao into a world centre for tourism and leisure, including working with regional and international partners to advance Macao’s tourism profile internationally. She also gave a presentation on promotional activities for the “2018 Macao Year of Gastronomy” and for the following four years, explaining how it would strengthen worldwide promotion of the city’s membership of UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Gastronomy.
Officials taking part in the fourth edition of the “Mayors’ Visiting Program” were: the Governor of Savannakhet Province of Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mr Santiphab Phomvihane; Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Mr Park Jeong; the Minister for Lands & Physical Planning and Minister for APEC (the Asia-Pacific Cooperation forum) of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Mr Justin Wayne Tkatchenko; the Deputy Secretary of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Thai Nguyen Provincial People's Committee of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Mr Vu Hong Bac; the Vice Governor of the Municipality of Phnom Penh of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Mr Nuon Pharat; the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Local Government, Housing and Environment of the Republic of Fiji, Mr Joshua Wycliffe; the Deputy Governor of North Sulawesi Province of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr Steven Octavianus Kandouw; the Director of the Investment Promotion and Protection Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr Esenkul Momunkulov; the Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City of Nepal, Mr Chiri Babu Maharjan; the Mayor of the City District Government of Peshawar of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr Muhammad Asim Khan; the Chairman Gwadar Port Authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr Dostain Khan Jamaldini; the Chairman of Advisers to Governor of Bangkok of the Kingdom of Thailand, Mr Vallop Suwandee; the Special Representative of Mayor of Moscow, of the Russian Federation, Ms Pasuginova Maria Germanovna; the Chairman of Kuala Belait & Seria Municipal Board, Ministry of Home Affairs of Brunei Darussalam, Mr Ridzuan Bin Haji Ahmad; the Municipal Mayor of Floridablanca, Republic of Philippines, Mr Darwin Ronquillo Manalansan;
Officials from the mainland in the Program were: the Secretary of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and Mayor of Zhuhai, Mr Yao Yisheng; Deputy Mayor of Hangzhou, Mr Chen Xinhua; member of the Standing Committee of CPC Harbin Municipal Committee and Deputy Mayor of Harbin, Mr Zhang Wanping; Deputy Mayor of Xiamen, Mr Han Jingyi; member of the Standing Committee of CPC Yangzhou Municipal Committee and Deputy Mayor of Yangzhou, Mr Chen Yang; and Deputy Mayor of Sanya, Mr Dai Yuming.
The delegation of the fourth edition of the “Mayors’ Visiting Program” will conclude its visit to Macao tomorrow, after visiting Ruins of St. Paul's and the Macao Museum in the morning.