On the second day of his four-day working visit to Macau, Xia Baolong, the director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO), yesterday visited Government Headquarters, the Legislative Assembly (AL), the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), and the Court of Final Appeal (TUI), according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) last night.

Xia arrived in Macau on Tuesday for a fact-finding visit that ends tomorrow.

According to the statement, Xia visited Government Headquarters in Nam Van in the morning, where he held a meeting with Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, as well as other top officials of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) government.

During the meeting, the GCS statement said, the local officials briefed Xia on the MSAR government’s ongoing work and Macau’s latest development achievements.

After the meeting at Government Headquarters, the statement said, Xia visited the Legislative Assembly building in Nam Van Lake district, where Kou Hoi In, the local legislature’s president, briefed Xia about the MSAR’s legislative work. In addition, according to the statement, Xia also “engaged in exchanges” with all 33 lawmakers. Xia was also accompanied by Ho during his visit to the local legislature.

At around midday, the GCS statement said, Xia visited the IFTM main campus on Mong Ha Hill in the peninsula, where IFTM representatives briefed Xia about Macau’s ongoing training of highly-qualified professionals for its tourism industry. Xia was also accompanied by Ho during his visit to the IFTM campus.

According to the statement, Xia visited Government Headquarters again in the afternoon, where he had a meeting with senior representatives of the Macau Public Security Forces (FSM). During the meeting, the statement said, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak briefed Xia about the city’s current public security situation.

Afterwards, the statement said, Xia visited the Court of Final Appeal, which is situated near the Legislative Assembly building. During his visit to Macau’s highest court, on which he was also accompanied by Ho, Xia was briefed by TUI President Sam Hou Fai and Public Prosecutor-General Ip Son Sang about the operations of the MSAR’s judicial organs.

In addition, the statement said, Xia also “engaged in exchanges” with local prosecutors as well as judges of all levels of the local courts.

A separate GCS statement last night said that during yesterday morning’s meeting at Government Headquarters, Xia said that the central authorities fully acknowledge the MSAR government’s ongoing work and its governance ability.

The statement also said that Xia is “very familiar” with the latest situations of Macau’s development and the city’s development planning.

Moreover, the statement also said that during yesterday afternoon’s meeting at Government Headquarters, Xia acknowledged the Macau Public Security Forces’ work on safeguarding national security and the MSAR public security.

Meanwhile, a TUI statement last night said that during his visit to the Court of Final Appeal, Xia said that the central authorities fully acknowledge Macau’s judicial work.

According to the statement, Sam and Ip told Xia that the MSAR’s judicial organs will continue to safeguard the city’s executive-led system “with the chief executive at the core”, which is enshrined in the MSAR Basic Law.

Meanwhile, Kou briefed reporters about Xia’s visit to the Legislative Assembly. According to Kou, Xia said during the visit that the central authorities fully acknowledge the local legislature’s work. Xia also expressed his gratitude to all local legislators for unanimously passing a local government-initiated bill amending the national security law of the MSAR last week. 

Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In (front, left) yesterday briefs State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) Director Xia Baolong (front, right) about the local legislature’s operation in its hemicycle. – Photos: GCS

State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) Director Xia Baolong (second from right) watches a chef preparing desserts during yesterday’s visit to the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) main campus on Mong Ha Hill.