The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said the visit to Cambodia and Thailand by a SAR Government delegation had been productive and fruitful, particularly in terms of extending Macao’s contribution to the “Belt and Road” initiative.
The five-day visit started on 7 May and ends tomorrow (11 May), with the return of the SAR Government delegation to Macao. It included stops in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh and in Thailand’s capital Bangkok, at the invitation of the respective national governments.
The Chief Executive expressed his gratitude for the invitations respectively from Cambodia and Thailand, saying that the two-country visit had achieved a total of four goals.
Firstly, it reinforced Macao’s ties with the two visited countries, and helped outline clear guidelines on how to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, based on the strengths of each side.
During the visit, the Government signed a memorandum of understanding to promote friendly cooperation with Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a twinning arrangement with Thailand’s Phuket Province. In addition, it also inked two cooperation agreements relating to development of traditional Chinese medicine in Thailand.
Secondly, the visit helped promote Macao’s unique advantages in terms of facilitating development of the “Belt and Road” initiative. These advantages cover tourism, economic and trade development, as well as making use of the city’s extensive networks of returned overseas Chinese.
During the visit, leaders respectively from Cambodia and Thailand spoke highly of Macao’s achievements in tourism and in economic and trade matters. They also highlighted the city’s strategic positioning as a world centre of tourism and leisure, and as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (collectively known as the “Centre and Platform” policies).
Thirdly, the visit helped boost Macao’s effort to diversify its economy, promoting bilateral cooperation in tourism, economic and trade matters, cultural affairs, human resource training, heritage conservation, exchanges between young people, and traditional Chinese medicine.
Fourthly, the visit complemented the SAR Government’s policy of promoting youth development. This was the first time a Government delegation included representatives of local youth associations and members of the “Gathering of Thousand Talents” group. It was a sign of the Government’s support to the involvement of local young people in national development strategies, also helping them to develop a global outlook.
The visit included meetings with senior officials respectively of Cambodia and Thailand. The SAR Government also organised a number of events in each of the countries to promote Macao’s tourism industry and the development of traditional Chinese medicine.
The SAR Government delegation members included: the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan; the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng; all members of the Executive Council; representatives of returned overseas Chinese communities in Macao; and a number of young people from Macao.