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The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China expresses strong opposition to the content relating to Macao carried in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016, lately issued by the Department of State of the United States of America.Since its establishment, the Macao SAR has been strictly adhered to the principle “One country, two systems”, “Macao people governing Macao”, and a high degree of autonomy. The successful implementation of the principles effectively protects the rights and freedoms of Macao residents as stipulated in the Basic Law of Macao. These achievements have been widely recognised by international communities and agencies.Foreign countries have no right to interfere in China’s domestic affairs and should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of Macao. The content in the report relating to Macao is groundless and baseless.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, will hold meetings in Beijing with mainland authorities, to discuss the nurturing of the talent of Macao’s young people, assistance regarding the country’s preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics, and participation in the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative.Mr Chui briefed reporters this morning before he departed for Beijing to attend Sunday’s opening ceremony of the 5th Session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC).During his four-day visit to the capital, Mr Chui will hold meetings with, respectively, officials of the Ministry of Education, the General Administration of Sport of China, and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.Regarding a scheduled meeting with the Ministry of Education, Mr Chui said he would discuss further cooperation on nurturing the talents of Macao’s young people, as part of the city’s economic development effort.The Ministry of Education has increased – since the start of the year – the number of Macao students directly admitted to mainland universities; and has expanded the list of universities covered by the scheme.Such efforts would improve the opportunity for Macao students to receive an education at one of the renowned universities on the mainland, thus helping Macao to develop its stock of talented people available for work in various professions, said Mr Chui.As of mid-January, there was a total of 723 Macao students – the highest number on record – enrolled in mainland universities via the direct admission scheme, Mr Chui said.The Chief Executive additionally said he would discuss during a meeting with the General Administration of Sport of China how to strengthen cooperation in competitive sports and how to promote “sport for all” in Macao.The Government would explore further partnership with the Administration in relation to the promotion of the 2022 Winter Olympics, and the supply to the event of volunteer services. The event is to be held in Beijing. Macao had previously held a series of promotional activities in relation to the 2008 Summer Olympics that were held in Beijing, noted the Chief Executive.Mr Chui would also meet officials of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, to discuss how Macao could participate in the country’s development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative. The discussion would touch on the achievements of recent visits by the Chief Executive to Fujian Province and Guangdong Province.A topic for discussion with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office would be how Macao might take advantage of the network of overseas Chinese with links to the city, and how this might contribute to the “Belt and Road” initiative. Of particular interest was how to make better use of the network of overseas Chinese in order to enhance people-to-people exchanges – one of the major goals of the initiative – said Mr Chui.Officials accompanying Mr Chui on the visit included: the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; and the Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Mr Fung Sio Weng.
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The Identification Services Bureau was confirmed by the Consulate General of Japan in Hong Kong that Macao SAR Passport holders can participate in the Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (abbreviated as TTP). Participants can use the automated immigration clearance system of Japan after registration, which will expedite the process of immigration clearance of Macao residents to Japan.Eligibilities of ApplicantsUsers of the above-mentioned program have to meet the relevant requirements of the Immigration Bureau of Japan, such as persons who intend to stay in Japan for a short period of time for such purposes as commercial business, sightseeing or visiting relatives, persons who have visited Japan at least two times within the 12-month period prior to the day of registration, persons who do not have a record of departure from Japan pursuant to a deportation order or a departure order, persons who have been affiliated with the designated organizations or companies in the capacity of full-time employee for at least 1 year and intend to continue in their position, persons who have not been sentenced to a fine or a greater criminal punishment in Japan or another country, etc.There are no age restrictions on the use of the automated immigration clearance system of Japan provided that the users can capture their fingerprints and operate the machine by themselves at the time of using the automated gates.Registration ProceduresEligible persons can lodge an application and electronically submit the necessary materials on the website of the Immigration Bureau of Japan prior to entry into Japan. Upon receipt of the application, the Immigration Bureau of Japan will conduct a preliminary review and send an electronic notification of the result to the applicants. Besides, it is also possible to apply in person at the registration booths located in the airports of Japan.The result of the preliminary review is valid for 3 months. Applicants who have passed the preliminary review have to go to Japan to conduct registration procedures for the secondary review within the following 3 months, otherwise they will need to lodge the application again. The registration counters are located at the immigration inspection area of the airports. Applicants are required to proceed to the registration counters for the secondary review after usual entry inspection at the immigration booths. Applicants have to capture their fingerprints, provide other personal identification information and original copies of the materials which they submitted electronically to the Immigration Bureau of Japan during the online application. After the registration is approved, applicants can pay the registration fee and a registered user card will be issued right after. Successful registrants will be able to start using the automated immigration clearance system from the time of their next departure. The above-mentioned registered user card is valid for 3 years, or until the validity date of the registrant’s passport if the remaining validity period of the passport is less than 3 years.At present, the automated immigration clearance system is available at Narita, Haneda, Chubu and Kansai airports in Japan. When using the automated immigration clearance system, the passport holders have to operate as instructed by the system. They can enter Japan after successful verification of their identity.For the latest information on the application, procedures and locations of Japan’s automated immigration clearance service, please visit the website of the Immigration Bureau of Japan (www.immi-moj.go.jp/ttp2/index.html).For the list of other countries where holders of Macau SAR electronic passport can use the automated immigration clearance system, please visit the website of the Identification Services Bureau (www.dsi.gov.mo/download/ep_autogate_e.pdf).
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The Government has organised a visit – with the participation of the 11 economies within the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Region – to Brazil and Portugal. It aims to strengthen ties between the places on issues relating to environmental protection and management of water resources.The visit – from 5 to 12 March – is an additional step in the efforts to diversify trade and economic cooperation between the mainland, Portuguese-speaking countries and Macao. It also aims to enhance Macao’s strategic positioning as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.The PPRD Region covers nine provinces and two special administrative regions (SARs) – an aggregation also known as the “9+2”. The PPRD Region comprises: Fujian; Jiangxi; Hunan; Guangdong; Guangxi; Hainan; Sichuan; Guizhou; Yunnan; the Hong Kong SAR; and the Macao SAR.During the eight-day visit to Brazil and Portugal, the delegation is scheduled to visit: the Chinese embassy in Brazil; the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency; Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management; and environmental protection projects in the Amazon River area.The delegation will also hold meetings with representatives of environmental companies in the two countries, to gain a better understanding on the latest developments of the sector. The group will also hold talks on how to introduce and apply the latest environmental protection technology in the different provinces of the mainland and in the SARs.The delegation is led by the President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng, and is composed of more than 50 members. The delegation includes: representatives from the National Development and Reform Commission; members of an environmental science association based in Sichuan Province; representatives from the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao; representatives from the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission; and members of governmental environment departments; and other related public departments from the provinces and SARs of the PPRD Region.Premier Li Keqiang announced – when he visited Macao last year – a number of measures from the Central Government to support the development of Macao as a platform for enhancing cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.The visit to Brazil and Portugal also seeks to implement the measures outlined in the guidelines – issued by the State Council – on the promotion of further cooperation within the PPRD Region. It is also aligned with the vision outlined during the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation Chief Executive Joint Conference.The Government organised in June 2016 a visit – with the participation of members from the PPRD Region – to Portugal and Belgium to explore further opportunities with the two European countries.
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In 2016, a total of 305 applications for temporary residency for managerial personnel, technical and professional qualification holders were received by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) (a decrease of 177 compared with last year), 24 applications for major investment and major investment plans (a decrease of 55compared with last year), representing 92.71% and 7.29% of the total of 329 new applications in 2016. Approved cases for managerial personnel, technical and professional qualification holders amounted to 99 (an increase of 18 compared with last year), approved applications for major investment and major investment plans totalled 4 (a decrease of 3 compared with last year).
Statistics of Temporary Residency Applications and the Cases and Number of People Approved in 2016

For further enquiries on the residency application guidelines, please contact IPIM by visiting the website: www.ipim.gov.mo, email: gjfr@ipim.gov.mo, tel: 28712055 or fax: 28713950. Applicants may also visit the website and enquire about the progress of their residency application status.
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The tourism authorities of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao met in Macao today （2 March） for the 2016 Conclusion Meeting for Regional Tourism Cooperation between Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao and the 2017 Work Meeting. The meeting was held to continuously foster regional tourism cooperation and jointly expand their visitor source markets.Zhongshan Tourism Bureau Director Wu Jiamin and Deputy Director Deng Shuling, Zhuhai Culture Sports and Tourism Bureau Director Wang Lingping, Zhuhai Tourism Development Centre Director Zhong Guohuai, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and Deputy Director Cecilia Tse as well as other officials discussed the collaborative plans of the three destinations on regional tourism in the meeting. The Rotating Chairman of 2016, Zhongshan Tourism Bureau, first presented a summary of the joint tourism projects rolled out by the three destinations last year. Following that, a chairman rotation ceremony was held where MGTO was designated as the Rotating Chairman of 2017.During the meeting, MGTO Director Senna Fernandes introduced the joint marketing scheme of 2017. As part of the scheme, MGTO will invite the tourism authorities of Zhongshan and Zhuhai to participate in the tourism presentation seminars of Macao, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Hong Kong to be held in Indonesia and Malaysia in April; the three destinations also plan to roll out tourism promotions in Eastern China region and Guilin, which is situated along the high-speed rail route, to tap further into Mainland and overseas markets together. This year, Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao will present a brand-new promotional video to promote their tourism resources and multi-destination travel style among visitors.
Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao have formed a tourism alliance to carry out joint marketing initiatives under their image as the “Fragrant Hill in the past; Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao today” since 2006. They conduct regular meetings each year to discuss annual collaborative plans. The three tourism authorities also take turns to assume the role as the tourism alliance chairman.The tourism authorities of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao successfully organized and engaged in a range of activities last year, including their tourism presentation seminars jointly held in Nanning and Guilin to promote multi-destination travel and expand their visitor markets along the high-speed rail routes; in addition, they together participated in the cultural tourism event coordinated by Zhongshan Tourism Bureau in commemoration of the 150thAnniversary of the Birth of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. In the latter half of 2016, the three tourism authorities jointly produced a brand-new promotional video under the tourism alliance of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao. The video production was completed in February.Within various regional cooperative frameworks, MGTO will make persistent endeavors to develop multi-destination tourism resources in close partnership with various tourism authorities; through the work of its overseas representatives to collaborate with their local travel agencies, MGTO will actively promote sales of multi-destination tourism products in different visitor source markets.

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The tourism authorities of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao met in Macao today （2 March） for the 2016 Conclusion Meeting for Regional Tourism Cooperation between Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao and the 2017 Work Meeting. The meeting was held to continuously foster regional tourism cooperation and jointly expand their visitor source markets.
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According to Law 4/2010, beneficiaries who receive old-age pension or disability pension from the Social Security Fund (abbreviated to FSS in Macao) are required to provide the proof of life in January each year. The number of people involved in this year is nearly 100,000, of which 95,700 people have already provided the proof of life. The FSS calls on the remaining 3.5% of the beneficiaries, who have not yet provided the proof of life, to complete the procedure in this month without delay. Otherwise, the relevant payment will be suspended from April.In accordance with the law, beneficiaries of old-age pension and disability pension are required to provide the proof of life every year; otherwise, it may result in the suspension of payment. Therefore, beneficiaries who have not yet provided the proof of life for this year should bring along their Macao SAR Resident ID Cards to visit the St. Lazarus Parish Field Office of the FSS or Areia Preta Service Centre of the Macao SAR (Area of Social Security and Employment), or to provide the proof of life through self-service machines located at many locations in Macao by the end of March.If a beneficiary is residing in Macao but cannot come in person to provide the proof of life due to his/her illness, he/she can ask someone to submit the proof of life for him/her. His/her agent is required to bring along the Macao SAR Resident ID Cards (original and photocopy) of his/her own and of the beneficiary and a certificate duly completed by the medical practitioner.Members of the public who want to learn more about the proof of life for 2017, they can call 2853 2850 during office hours or visit the thematic web page of the FSS’ website at www.fss.gov.mo.
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Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) jointly held the 77^th Work Meeting of the Tourism Marketing Organization of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in Hong Kong today (1 March), to exchange news and trends, deepen regional cooperation and discuss their joint promotional plan in 2017. MGTO assumes the Rotating Chairman of the Tourism Marketing Organization of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao this year.MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Deputy Director General of Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Mei Qijie, and HKTB Executive Director Anthony Lau attended the Meeting together with others. During the Meeting, they concluded the work progress since the 76^th work meeting and discussed their cooperative plan on joint tourism promotion in 2017. The three parties reached a consensus to keep strengthening collaboration in tourism promotion under the current tourism cooperative framework. The tasks include setting up joint booths in major travel fairs, placing strategic advertisements as well as organizing trade familiarization trips and joint promotional activities for multi-destination travel in domestic cities and overseas, etc., with the aim to fully utilize the unique resources possessed by the three destinations and tap into a greater diversity of market segments.Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, HKTB and MGTO established the Tourism Marketing Organization of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in 1993 and activated the system of chairmanship rotation in 2008. The three parties have established a long-term and stable cooperative framework to make continuous progress in executing their work plans and enhancing communication and cooperation to complement each other by sharing their competitive strengths and forge the Pearl River Delta Region into one high-value destination brand.Over the last few years, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have continued to put more efforts in joint destination marketing. In 2015, they co-launched five new multi-destination travel routes. Last year, the three authorities set up joint booths in international travel fairs held in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao; organized familiarization trips for Indian travel trade to Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao; in addition, they placed advertisements in travel exhibitions held in Germany and the United States to promote the three places as one destination, besides other cooperative measures.
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The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election and the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) are jointly to launch a telephone hotline to handle any complaints that might be received relating to the 2017 Legislative Assembly Election.The two authorities would initiate immediately an investigation in the event of a complaint being filed, the Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Mr Tong Hio Fong, told reporters after attending a meeting this morning with the CCAC.This joint initiative was in order to consolidate public sector resources and to offer convenience to the general public, added Mr Tong.During the meeting, the two authorities agreed to enhance communication with the public regarding the topic of civic rights and civic duties; and the importance to the community of ensuring a clean election.The Commissioner Against Corruption, Mr Cheong Weng Chon, who was present at the meeting, said the CCAC and other public departments concerned with maintenance of the rule of law would cooperate – in line with their respective areas of competency – to ensure the fairness and probity of the forthcoming election.In another meeting – with the Director of the Judiciary Police, Mr Chau Wai Kuong, and the Commissioner of the Public Security Police Force, Mr Leong Man Cheong – Mr Tong said the Electoral Affairs Commission and the police authorities would enhance their efforts on exchange of information regarding any report of suspected electoral irregularity.That meeting also discussed road traffic arrangements for the opening day of the electoral campaign; as well as a mechanism for handling any complaints from the public that might be received on election day itself.Mr Chau said the Judiciary Police would fully support the work of the Electoral Affairs Commission, and would act promptly should any suspected acts of defamation come to the notice of the Judiciary Police in the context of the electoral campaign.
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