The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today met in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, with representatives from a number of Fujian enterprises, calling for them fully to seize the new development opportunities in Macao and Hengqin. It is also hoped Fujian businesses will further unlock the potential for cooperation by leveraging the respective strengths of Macao and Fujian to achieve a new level of mutually beneficial outcomes.

During the meeting, Mr Sam briefed the business representatives on the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government’s ongoing efforts to advance Macao’s appropriate economic diversification. He highlighted Macao’s commitment to strengthening its role as “One Centre, One Platform, and One Hub”, and its effort to accelerate development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

Macao, by actively participating in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, aimed fully to leverage its unique advantages, in order  better to integrate into and serve the country’s overall development, Mr Sam stated.

Macao and Fujian have deep roots for cooperation, and a long history of fruitful exchanges across various sectors. Those in Macao that have Fujian origins play an indispensable role in that, noted Mr Sam.

Given these strong foundations, the MSAR Government extends an invitation to Fujian enterprises to invest and grow in Macao and in the Cooperation Zone, jointly sharing in the region’s development dividends, and enriching the outcomes of economic and trade collaboration between Macao and Fujian.

Mr Sam also encouraged Fujian companies to harness Macao’s unique position –deeply connected to the Chinese mainland and well connected to the global marketplace – to expand overseas together. The MSAR Government would fully leverage Macao’s role as a China-Portuguese-speaking countries’ platform, and as a “precise connector”, in order to support Fujian enterprises in accessing markets in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries.

Representatives from Fujian enterprises present at the meeting expressed their commitment to helping local Fujian industries better understand the upcoming Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR. They stated their intention to align closely with Macao’s five-year development blueprint, exploring opportunities in biomedicine, financial investment, cross-boundary e-commerce, high-tech industries, and cultural tourism and exhibitions. They pledged to deepen their involvement in the sustained development of Macao and Hengqin and contribute to the next phase of Fujian-Macao cooperation.

Earlier today, the Secretariat for Economy and Finance of the MSAR Government; the Fujian Provincial Development and Reform Commission; and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Fujian Provincial People’s Government, jointly hosted a “Macao-Fujian Regional Synergistic Development Briefing Session” in Fuzhou. The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Ng Wai Han, and Vice Governor of Fujian Province, Mr Zhao Zenglian, attended the event. It aimed to promote Macao’s development opportunities, business environment, and pro-enterprise policies to Fujian companies, attracting investment and encouraging more Fujian enterprises to establish operations in Macao.

The Chief Executive and his delegation concluded their four-day visit to Fujian and returned to Macao in the afternoon.