CE meets Mayor of Beijing to bolster cooperation

MACAU, November 13 - The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, met today with Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Mayor of Beijing, Mr Yin Yong. The two officials exchanged views on strengthening cooperation between Beijing and Macao, and on the development of high-tech industries.

Mr Sam welcomed Mr Yin and his delegation to Macao and expressed gratitude for Beijing’s longstanding care and support for Macao’s development. He noted that exchanges and cooperation between Beijing and Macao have a long history, characterised by close people-to-people ties and an ever-expanding scope of collaboration. Since the establishment of the Beijing-Macao Cooperation Conference mechanism, the two sides have maintained effective communication and coordination, promoting sustained bilateral development in areas such as trade and the economy, cultural tourism, education, finance, and technological innovation.

The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government is actively pursuing appropriate economic diversification and advancing four key development projects, including the planned establishment of a science and technology research and industrial park, said Mr Sam.

The Chief Executive said Macao looked forward to deepening exchanges and cooperation with Beijing, drawing on the latter’s successful experience in the development of science and technology innovation industries, in order to support Macao in this field. Leveraging Macao’s unique advantages, collaboration between the Chinese mainland and Macao in science and technology innovation was expected to be strengthened, attracting successful Chinese mainland enterprises to establish a presence in Macao.

Mr Sam also highlighted that – with “Macao + Hengqin” as a development direction – efforts would be intensified to enhance integration between Macao and Hengqin, focusing on the development of industries under the “1+4” strategy for appropriate economic diversification, and accelerating the construction of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, thereby contributing to the broader national development strategy. He expressed hope that, building upon the solid foundation of Beijing-Macao cooperation, both sides would join efforts to embrace new development opportunities and achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

Officials attending the meeting included: the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Tai Kin Ip; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Chan Kak; the Director of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau, Mr Cheong Chok Man; the Director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, Mr Yau Yun Wah; and the Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Monetary Authority of Macao, Mr Vong Sin Man.

Representing Beijing at the meeting were: the Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Mr Zeng Jin; the Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and Deputy Director in charge of daily operations of the General Office, Mr Zhu Xiangdong; and the Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Ms Huang Yihua.

Following the meeting, and in the presence of Mr Sam and Mr Yin, representatives from the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the MSAR Government and the Zhongguancun Development Group signed a memorandum of cooperation.