Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has said that last week’s four-day “tight-schedule” fact-finding visit by Xia Baolong, the director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO), has produced “fruitful and meaningful” results for Macau’s development, pledging that the local government will certainly promote Macau’s sustainable development in compliance with the six requirements raised by Xia during his working visit here.

The chief executive also said that Xia “highly praised” Macau’s work on safeguarding national security.

Ho made the remarks while summarising Xia’s visit during a press conference at Government Headquarters on Friday afternoon, shortly after Xia had left Macau to return to Beijing after concluding his four-day inspection visit here.

Xia had arrived in Macau on Tuesday last week for a fact-finding visit that ended on Friday.

2 universities, non-gaming facilities, Cotai hospital complex

On Friday, the last day of his four-day working visit, Xia visited two universities, non-gaming facilities run by two of the city’s six gaming operators and the public hospital complex in Cotai.

Xia raised six requirements for Macau during a meeting with Ho, four policy secretaries, as well as heads of the city’s legislative and judicial organs on Tuesday last week, the first day of his four-day visit. Xia’s six requirements are Macau having to make greater achievements in fully, accurately and unswervingly implementing the “One Country, Two Systems” principle; having to make greater achievements in safeguarding national security; having to make greater achievements in strengthening its traditional values of “Loving the Country and Loving Macau”; having to make greater achievements in promoting its appropriate economic diversification drive; having to make greater achievements in participating in Hengqin’s development; and having to make greater achievements in improving its governance ability.

Details of Xia’s six requirements are listed in a report published by The Macau Post Daily last week at: https://www.macaupostdaily.com/article17960.html

In addition, details about the first three days of Xia’s four-day visit are contained in other reports published by The Macau Post Daily last week.

A statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) on Friday afternoon provided brief information about the facilities that were visited by Xia on Friday before he returned to the national capital.

The GCS statement said that Xia had a breakfast meeting with some of Macau’s 12 deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) as well as leaders of some of the city’s “patriotic” community associations, where they exchanged views on Macau’s latest social developments.

State key laboratories

After the breakfast meeting, the GCS statement said, Xia visited the private Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) campus in Taipa, where he visited two state key laboratories, namely the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, and the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences.

Afterwards, the GCS statement said, Xia visited the public University of Macau (UM) campus on Hengqin Island, where he visited two other state key laboratories, namely the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, and the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (very large-scale integration).

During his visit to the University of Macau, according to a UM statement on Friday, Xia also visited its University Gallery where he was briefed by UM representatives about the tertiary education institution’s history and latest development achievements.

Londoner Macao, Galaxy Int’l Convention Centre

After visiting the UM campus, the GCS statement said, Xia visited various non-gaming facilities of two “integrated resorts”, where he was briefed by representatives of the two resorts about their respective ongoing planning and development of new non-gaming projects and measures to attract more foreign visitors. During his visit to the two resorts, the GCS statement said, Xia was briefed by Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong.

According to local media reports, Xia visited The Londoner Macao resort, as well as the Galaxy International Convention Centre (GICC), both in Cotai, on Friday. According to the reports, Xia was greeted by Sands China President Wilfred Wong Ying-wai when visiting The Londoner Macao, while he was greeted by Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) Chairman Lui Che-woo and his son Francis Lui Yiu-tung when visiting the Galaxy International Convention Centre.

On Friday afternoon, according to the GCS statement, Xia visited the public hospital complex in Cotai, officially known as Islands Healthcare Complex, which is scheduled to start operating in phases later this year.

The Cotai hospital complex will be operated and managed by Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Xia was briefed by senior local health officials about their ongoing work in preparation for the hospital’s upcoming operation, the GCS statement said.

Before returning to Beijing, the GCS statement said, Xia also paid a visit to Coloane to gain a better understanding of its latest urban developments.

Xia flew back to Beijing from the local airport on Friday afternoon.

Over 30 activities & events

During Friday afternoon’s press conference, Ho noted that Xia participated in over 30 activities and events during his four-day inspection visit to Macau. Xia had a tight schedule during his four-day visit, which covered a wide range of places and facilities, the chief executive said, adding that Xia’s visit had produced “fruitful and meaningful” results for the city’s development.

In addition to meeting with top local officials, heads of the city’s legislative and judicial organs, senior representatives of the Macau Public Security Forces (FSM), local NPC deputies, Macau members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC), community leaders, and business representatives, Ho said, Xia also met with representatives from various sectors in Macau’s civil society such as legal, financial, technological, and educational sectors, as well as representatives of young local people.

Ho also said that while in Macau, Xia also met with his two predecessors, namely Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Macau’s first chief executive and now a vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, and Fernando Chui Sai On, i.e., Edmund Ho’s successor.

The chief executive pledged that the local government will certainly work hard to drive Macau’s sustainable development in compliance with President Xi Jinping’s guidance on Macau’s development, the major strategies outlined by the 20^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Xia’s six requirements.

Diversification ‘is not optional but compulsory’

According to Ho, Xia told the local government during his stay in Macau that appropriately diversifying the city’s economy “is not optional but compulsory”.

According to the chief executive, Xia said that the central authorities are paying close attention to whether the city’s gaming operators are fulfilling their respective promises to develop new non-gaming projects.

Meanwhile, Ho also said that the city’s six gaming operators have already submitted their respective plans on measures to revitalise the city’s old quarters in collaboration with the government.

Ho said that all of the six gaming operators’ proposals are “good”, adding that the government has agreed with the six proposals and expects the respective projects to get off the ground as soon as possible. 

Accompanied by Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (third from right), State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) Director Xia Baolong (third from left) is briefed on Friday by Lei Wai Seng (first from right), a senior official of the Macau Health Bureau (SSM), about facilities in Islands Healthcare Complex in Cotai. – Photos: GCS

Ge Wei (third from left), a vice-rector of the University of Macau (UM), briefs State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) Director Xia Baolong (second from left) on Friday about the public university’s latest developments, at the University Gallery on its campus.