News

Given the ongoing Zika virus situation in Singapore, the Embassy of China in Singapore issued a security alert to Chinese citizens. The following is the translated version of the full text: "Considering that since August of this year there has been ongoing transmission of the Zika virus in Singapore, the Health Authorities of Singapore has informed the World Health Organization that it is to be considered as the 58th country locally spreading the Zika virus, while it has also included the virus onto its list of transmittable diseases that are to be reported to the Health Authorities. As of noon of the 1st of September, the number of Zika infections in Singapore reached 151, including 23 chinese citizens. The Zika virus is known to be transmitted through the Aedes Albopictus mosquito. The symptoms include, among others, fever, headache, skin rashes, joint or muscle pain and conjunctivitis. Studies revealed that pregnant women, if infected by the Zika virus, will risk microcephaly and affect newborns. The Embassy of China in Singapore advises chinese citizens in that country to be aware of the Zika virus, especially pregnant women who should take strict precautions in avoiding mosquito bites. In case the aforementioned symptoms are suspected or observed, immediate medical assistance should be sought. Chinese citizens planning to travel to Singapore are also advised to bring medication and mosquito repellent for prevention of the Zika virus. Singapore emergency contact: 995 Embassy of China in Singapore for Consular Protection and Assistance: +65-92971517 Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China: +86-10-12308 or +86-10-59913991 (This alert is valid until the 30th of September, 2016)" The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) alerts Macao residents who plan to go to Singapore to maintain alerted on the recommendations issued by the Health Authorities, avoid mosquito bites and beware of the Zika virus. If necessary, Macao residents can call the 24-hour Tourism Hotline: (853) 2833 3000, the Embassy of China in Singapore or the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308 for assistance.
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on moon cakes from 29-31 August for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo). For inquiry, please call the Council’s hotline: 8988 9315.
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The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) will initiate restoration works in the roof of the main pavilion of the Bazaar Temple, located at Rua de Cinco de Outubro, from Thursday, 8th of September, estimating its completion in around 90 days. During the restoration period, the temple will be closed. For enquiries, please call IC through tel. no. 8399 6699, during office hours.
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Organized for the first time by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), coordinated by Macau Travel Agency Association and supported by China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), the 4th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (“MITE”) was unveiled at Hall D, Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao this morning (2 September). The Expo presents “China – Portugal Tourism Seminar & Networking” as a new program highlight this year. Distinguished speakers are also invited to present special topics such as the new trends of Free Independent Travel (FIT) in the Asia-Pacific region and smart tourism. The opening ceremony was officiated by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Dr. Alexis Tam, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Yao Jian, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Cai Siping, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Affairs on Tourism of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of CNTA, Wu Kefeng, Acting Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Wai Cheng Iong, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, President of the Alliance of Macau Tourism Industry, David Chow Kam Fai, and President of Macau Travel Agency Association, the coordinating entity of the Expo, Lao Nga Wong, as well as representatives of the event co-organizers and media partners. The co-organizers include the Macao Chamber of Commerce, Macao Federation of Trade Unions, the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau, the Women’s General Association of Macau, Association of Returned Overseas Chinese Macau, Association of Macao Tourist Agents and Travel Industry Council of Macau. The media partners include Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. (TDM) and Macau Asia Satellite Television Company, Limited (MASTV). In his speech, Secretary Tam expressed that this year the Expo is organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office for the first time and coordinated by Macau Travel Agency Association. He believes that through the SAR Government’s guidance and involvement as well as close collaboration with industry partners, the Expo is set to achieve greater effectiveness and contribution to the industry. In the days ahead, the SAR Government will continue to uphold the principle of openness and sharing, to strengthen partnership between the public and private sectors, as well as foster coordinated development in parallel with the Mainland as well as other regional and international destinations, as all parties join hands to expand tourism markets for a broader and brighter tourism prospect. He also expressed confidence in MITE’s transformation into Macao’s signature international tourism fair which propels Macao’s development into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. Coming to its 4th edition, MITE is a significant annual gathering for tourism professionals, dedicated to offering a platform for participants from tourism and other related sectors at home and abroad to jointly explore business opportunities and boost visitation. Held at Hall D, Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao from 2 to 4 September, the Expo covers an area of 6,800 square meters and features a total of 370 booths run by over 200 enterprises and entities from 28 countries and regions. The exhibitors came from the tourism industry in countries and regions across Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania. Tourism authorities of over 70 Mainland municipalities also take part in the Expo, which is expected to attract over 30,000 visitors. The three-day Expo not only covers six key elements of the tourism industry — dining, accommodation, transportation, entertainment, sightseeing and shopping, but also features travel-related service, travel media, tourism electronic commerce and technology in tourism among other aspects. Offering a platform for exchange and product sale, the Expo not only updates exhibitors and industry professionals with local and overseas industry trends but also provides useful travel tips for travel enthusiasts. The 4th MITE program features a range of highlights among which the China - Portugal Tourism Seminar & Networking was held this afternoon (2 September) as a new session that brought out Macao’s impact as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Following that, an array of seminars will be held tomorrow (3 September) to cover various topics including an analysis of new trends of FIT in the Asia-Pacific region, smart tourism development and internet application, tourism destinations along the high-speed railway as well as promotion of hot tourist spots in 2016. Distinguished speakers are invited to share their knowledge and foresight on the topics concerned and familiarize participants with the latest tourism information and prospects of various destinations. The Expo also features a studio showing tourism videos, sales for FIT travel products, as well as folk custom and specialty shows. MGTO presents a 144-square-meter Macao pavilion in the Expo. Themed after “Experience Macao Your Own Style”, the booth presents the World Heritage Site “The Historic Centre of Macao”, events and festivals as well as a wide range of local tourism products to industry professionals and visitors from around the world. The motorcycle rode by the champion of the 2003 Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, Michael Rutter, is on display along with a car-racing simulator for interactive fun. The 4th MITE is open to the public from 11:00 to 19:00 on 2 – 3 September and from 11:00 to 18:00 on 4 September. Free admission tickets are distributed on-site. In the future, MGTO will keep enhancing its collaboration with the travel trade and other related sectors to promote the destination through a variety of local, regional and international events. Moreover, the Office will strive to radiate Macao’s impact as a platform, attract diverse market segments and raise the city’s international profile, in line with Macao’s goal to become a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. Official website of the 4th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo: www.cmitc.com This press release is available at: http://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/pressroom/
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Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the “Artworks of the Winners of New Talent Prize of the XXXI Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists - Chan Chong Hei, Un Lok I and Cheong Kit Pan” will be inaugurated on Tuesday, 6th September, at 6pm, at the Sir Ho Yin Gallery of the Clube Militar de Macau for the general public, featuring 33 works by the three New Talent Prize winners. Chan Chong Hei started learning Chinese painting at the age of nine. Encouraged by his instructor, he participated in the Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists with the work “Hard work on Painting”. This awarded work will be showcased along with ten of his newly created landscape paintings in the exhibition. Un Lok I, the New Talent Prize winner in the Western Painting category, is keen on technical pen drawing. She loves reading books about muscle structure, and her paintings are largely about the human body and fantasised patterns of different types, demonstrating her high sensibility and creative imagination. Cheong Kit Pan has been learning Chinese Calligraphy for 13 years and is always diligent in perfecting his techniques by imitating different styles of handwriting. He won the New Talent Prize in Chinese Calligraphy twice. His works will be again showcased in this exhibition. “Artworks of the Winners of New Talent Prize of the XXXI Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists - Chan Chong Hei, Un Lok I and Cheong Kit Pan” will be held from 7th to 28th September at the Sir Ho Yin Gallery at the Clube Militar de Macau, located at No. 975, Avenida da Praia Grande, and is open from 11 am to 7pm (including public holidays). Admission is free. For enquiries, please call IC through tel. no. 8988 4100 during office hours.
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Heroes of China’s national Olympic Team showed the Macao public their impressive sporting skills today (Wednesday) while joining young local athletes in several friendly contests. Athletes who represented the country at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games took part in demonstrations of, respectively, badminton, volleyball and table tennis. The fun-filled event – held at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion – was attended by approximately 2,500 spectators. Earlier in the morning, the 64-member Rio Olympics Mainland Olympians Delegation divided into groups in order to visit a total of six local community centres and social services centres. Activities of the guests included: assisting senior citizens as they measured their blood pressure; playing table tennis with local people; engaging in Tai Chi; joining a workshop on how to make balloon sculptures; working with children to make paintings; playing interactive games; and enjoying performance activities by local people. The Delegation will leave Macao tomorrow morning (Thursday), bound for Beijing, after a four-day visit.
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On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Macao International Music Festival, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will host the “Macao International Music Festival Forum” themed “Music and Arts Festival as Drivers of a City’s Cultural Development” on 30 September and 1 October at the Macao Cultural Centre Conference Room, in which various renowned guests from cultural sectors from both overseas and the nearby regions will participate, in order to explore how international arts festivals and events contribute to the sustainable development of a city. Admission to the forum is free and all are welcome to register. Seats are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The two-day “Macao International Music Festival Forum” will feature a number of sessions covering a wide range of themes, from city branding, programming, audience development, cultural tourism and Internet marketing, to explore the influence between music and arts festivals and the urban cultural development in various regions. Several prominent practitioners from overseas and nearby regions were invited to conduct the talks in the Forum, including the Managing Director of the Barbican Centre, Sir Nicholas Kenyon; the Founder and Executive Director of the Verbier Festival, Martin Engstroem; the CEO of Arts House Limited, Singapore, Lee Chor Lin; the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Tisa Ho; the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Clockenflap, Hong Kong’s Music and Arts Festival, Jay Forster; the Digital Strategist of Clockenflap, Hong Kong’s Music and Arts Festival, Simon Bratt; the Dean of the School of Music of Shanghai University, Wang Yong; the Director of the Shanghai Culture Square, Zhang Jie; and the General Manager of Wu Promotions, Wu Jiatong, among others. Industry practitioners and members of the public are welcome to register for the Forum through the MIMF website (www.icm.gov.mo/fimm), or submit the completed Application Form, available at the Cultural Affairs Bureau and its public libraries, by mail or in person during office hours at the Cultural Affairs Bureau Building located at Tap Siac Square, by 28 September. For enquiries, please call IC through tel. no. 83996699, during office hours.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for July 2016 amounted to MOP832 million, down by 12.6% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP647 million) dropped by 17.3%, with that of Garments (MOP40 million) falling by 49.6%; value of domestic exports (MOP186 million) expanded by 9.2%, with that of Tobacco (MOP44 million) rising by 12.7%. Total merchandise import decreased by 21.1% year-on-year to MOP5.70 billion, of which imports of Mobile phones and Watches declined by 45.9% and 44.0% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP4.87 billion. In the first seven months of 2016, total value of merchandise export dropped by 7.4% year-on-year to MOP5.94 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP4.92 billion) and domestic exports (MOP1.02 billion) decreased by 7.4% and 7.1% respectively. Total value of merchandise import fell by 21.3% to MOP39.19 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP33.25 billion for the first seven months of 2016. Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Hong Kong decreased by 11.8% year-on-year to MOP3.45 billion in the first seven months of 2016. Although exports to the nine provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP980 million) fell by 2.1%, exports to Hubei Province (MOP15 million) and Beijing (MOP12 million) surged by 1,247.6% and 58.7% respectively, resulting in a 0.3% rise in exports to Mainland China (MOP1.04 billion). Meanwhile, exports to the EU (MOP120 million) and the USA (MOP86 million) reduced by 20.7% and 32.0% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles declined by 6.8% year-on-year to MOP5.54 billion, of which value of Clocks & watches (MOP602 million) dropped by 32.0% but that of Tobacco & wine (MOP489 million) grew by 47.6%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP404 million, down by 14.9%. By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP14.43 billion) and the EU (MOP9.41 billion) in the first seven months of 2016 decreased by 21.8% and 16.3% respectively year-on-year. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Mainland China declined by 8.7% to MOP6.67 billion, of which imports from the nine provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP6.37 billion) fell by 8.3%. Imports of Consumer goods dropped by 18.0% to MOP24.21 billion, with imports of Watches (MOP2.24 billion) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP700 million) decreasing by 42.8% and 56.4% respectively. Moreover, imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP3.50 billion), Mobile phones (MOP2.56 billion) and Construction materials (MOP1.23 billion) declined by 14.2%, 47.4% and 33.5% respectively. External merchandise trade totalled MOP45.13 billion in the first seven months of 2016, down by 19.7% compared with MOP56.22 billion a year earlier.
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Chinese Olympic athletes shared with young local people – during face-to-face meetings in Macao today – memories of Olympic glory and stories of the perseverance that led them to success at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The 64-member Rio Olympics Mainland Olympian Delegation met approximately 1,500 young local people, during a morning sharing session at the Macau Forum events venue. During the session, eight medal-winning athletes were invited to the stage to share their experience of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. They were: Ms Zhang Mengxue (Air Pistol); Ms Zhu Ting (Volleyball); Ms Hui Ruoqi (Volleyball); Ms Ding Ning (Table Tennis); Ms Ren Qian (Diving); Mr Zhao Shuai (Taekwondo); Mr Long Quinquan (Weightlifting); and Ms Fu Yuanhui (Swimming). Following the session, the Delegation toured the Ruins of St. Paul's and the Mount Fortress. The two places are part of the Historic Centre of Macao, which in turn is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During a tour additionally of the Macao Museum, the guests were given further information about the history of the city. In the evening, the guests attended a variety show at the Macao East Asia Games Dome. The celebratory gathering included performances by star singers of Cantonese pop music, an open dialogue session and interactive games. Tomorrow morning (Wednesday, 31 August), the Delegation will divide into groups in order to visit a total of six local community centres and social services centres, and share their Olympic joy with local senior citizens and young people. On Wednesday afternoon, the athletes will take part in another experience-sharing session – this time with young Macao athletes and local students – at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion. The session will include performances and skill demonstrations by the athletes, and interactive games between the guests and Macao’s young athletes and students. The Delegation arrived in Macao on Monday, on a four-day visit. The Delegation will leave the city for Beijing on the morning of 1 September. The Delegation comprises 45 elite athletes representing the Chinese national team that competed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games; five coaches from different sport events; and officials from the General Administration of Sport of China.
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For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council collects prices of fresh pork and vegetables from wet markets and supermarkets for consumers’ reference. The mentioned data collected during 24 August to 30 August are used for comparing the selling prices of the same products from Hong Kong. The relevant data has been uploaded to the Council’s website for consumers’ reference. The specific price surveys on fresh pork and vegetables are now available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), iPhone & Android ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ app, and the Council’s WeChat Account page. The relevant surveys include selling prices of local fresh pork and vegetables, and comparison on the respective selling prices rom HK and Macao. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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