The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, met with the Prime Minister of Portugal, Mr Luís Montenegro, in Lisbon, Portugal. They affirmed the broad prospects for Macao-Portugal cooperation and agreed that Macao will continue to leverage its unique role as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, advancing China-Portugal economic and trade collaboration, and enhancing support for Portuguese enterprises in accessing the vast Chinese market.
The meeting was held on Tuesday (21 April) in the morning local time. The Chief Executive arrived in Lisbon on Saturday (18 April), for the first stop of a four-nation European tour.
Mr Sam noted in Tuesday’s meeting that Prime Minister Montenegro’s successful visit to China last September yielded positive outcomes, with leaders of both countries agreeing to enrich further the content of their nations’ comprehensive strategic partnership. Noting Mr Montenegro also visited Macao during his 2025 trip to China, Mr Sam expressed his pleasure at resuming their dialogue in Lisbon.
The Chief Executive stated that the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government delegation’s ongoing visit to Portugal, including a series of meetings with senior Portuguese officials, underscored Macao’s high regard for the Macao-Portugal relationship. Building on the solid foundation of bilateral friendship and cooperation, the MSAR Government is placing greater emphasis on leveraging Macao’s unique bridging role to advance further the development of the China-Portugal cooperation platform and achieve further tangible progress.
Mr Sam highlighted that this visit included a delegation of representatives of outstanding enterprises from Macao and Hengqin, and other places on the Chinese mainland. This initiative has created a valuable platform for dialogue for businesses across various sectors.
The MSAR Government welcomes Portuguese companies to expand their operations in Macao; and, through Macao’s platform link, actively participate in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and access the Chinese mainland market, he added.
The Chief Executive said he hoped for continued deepening of exchanges and mutually-beneficial cooperation between Macao and Portugal in areas including trade and investment, promotion of the Portuguese language, talent development, high-tech innovation, cultural tourism, and judicial collaboration. He expressed confidence that China and Portugal will continue to strengthen strategic communication, consolidate high-level mutual trust, and promote high-quality cooperation, further enriching their comprehensive strategic partnership. In this process, Macao will continue to play a unique bridging role and make new and greater contributions to bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Montenegro stated that Portugal is committed to deepening friendly and cooperative ties with China, and hopes to consolidate and further strengthen traditional friendship through close and pragmatic cooperation with Macao. He emphasised that Macao serves as an important gateway for Portuguese businesses to enter the Chinese market, while Portugal can likewise serve as a platform for Chinese-mainland and Macao enterprises seeking access to the European market.
Macao and Portugal should enhance coordination and collaboration to explore jointly broader market opportunities. Portugal welcomes more investment from Chinese-mainland and Macao enterprises, and encourages greater recognition of Portugal’s role as a key economic and trade partner.
Regarding other areas of cooperation, the Prime Minister noted that Portugal would further deepen exchanges and collaboration with Macao in judicial cooperation, cultural and tourism development, Portuguese language promotion, and high-level talent development, aiming for mutual growth and shared benefits. He also expressed the hope that both sides would actively engage in consultations to convene, at an early date, the next meeting of the Macao-Portugal Joint Committee, so as to advance practical cooperation across multiple fields.
Also present at the meeting were: the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, Mr Yang Yirui; the MSAR’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms O Lam; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Chan Kak; and the Director of the Macao Economic and Trade Office in Lisbon, Ms Lúcia Abrantes dos Santos.
Other officials representing the Portuguese side were: the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Mr Paulo Rangel; and the Consul-General of Portugal in Macao, Mr Alexandre Leitão.
