Secretary for Economy and Finance Anton Tai Kin Ip yesterday pledged the Macau government’s commitment to making it more convenient for French brands to enter the Chinese mainland’s vast market through Macau as a platform.
Tai made the remarks while delivering a speech yesterday during the opening ceremony of the Bonjour Brand Forum (Macao).
The Bonjour Brand Forum (Macao) has been held for the first time. “Bonjour” is the French greeting for “good morning”.
Founded in Paris in 2014, according to its official website (https://www.bonjourbrand.fr/), the Bonjour Brand Forum is an annual gathering for creativity, supported by the Foundation for Foresight and Innovation and its president, Jean-Pierre Raffarin. “Each edition of the Forum celebrates creative ideas and inspiring, engaging exchanges between China and the rest of the world, between culture and industry, and between tradition and innovation,” the organisation says on its website, adding that “together, these countries build shared visions through dialogue and establish collaborations to tackle the challenges of the 21st century hand in hand”.
The one-day forum was held at MGM MACAU in Nape. In addition to Tai, yesterday’s opening ceremony was attended by other dignitaries and representatives including Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, French Special Representative for China Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Foreign Ministry Commissioner in the MSAR Bian Lixin, Yin Rutao, a deputy head of the Publicity, Culture and Sports Department of the Central People’s Government Liaison Office in the MSAR, and Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau Christile Drulhe.
Raffarin, 77, was France’s prime minister from May 2002 to May 2005.
In his speech, Tai said that the successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle provides a solid foundation for Macau to fully leverage its unique advantages in connecting the Chinese mainland with the rest of the world. Over recent years, Tai underlined, Macau has been consolidating and deepening its roles as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, an exchange and cooperation base with Chinese culture as its mainstream and co-existence of different cultures, and a high ground for gathering international high-end talent.
Tai also said that with a free and open business environment and a diverse and inclusive culture, Macau has been building platforms for mutually beneficial cooperation between international brands and local enterprises.
Tai pointed out that Macau’s free-trade and zero-tariff policies fully ensure the free flow of goods, intangible assets, and capital, recognised by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as one of the world’s most open economies for trade and investment.
Tai underlined that Macau has long maintained robust economic and trade relations with France and other European economies, adding that over the years, numerous renowned French brands have been developing deep roots in the Macau market, establishing solid marketing networks.
The policy secretary also underlined that the MSAR government has also encouraged and supported local enterprises in strengthening their brand development and promoting their quality products and unique cultural brands to the world.
Tai noted that the value of goods imported from France into Macau exceeded 17 billion patacas last year, demonstrating a solid economic and trade relation between the two sides. He also pointed out that Macau and France signed an agreement last year on launching cooperation on scientific research, offering new opportunities and prospects for cooperation in sci-tech research and development and technology transfer between the two sides.
Tai said that the hosting of the Bonjour Brand Forum (Macao) has not only fully demonstrated Macau’s unique advantages as an international exchange platform, but has also created more opportunities for market expansion and the deepening of cooperation among enterprises from the Chinese mainland, Macau, and France.
Tai noted that the country has now started to implement its 15th Five-Year Plan, while the MSAR government is now working on the drafting Macau’s third Five-Year Plan, with one of its objectives to solidly advance Macau’s appropriate economic diversification and its coordination in regional development.
Tai pledged the MSAR government’s commitment to advancing the development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and facilitating the regional flow of various production factors such as talent, capital, logistics, and data, thereby further enhancing market vitality and innovation capacity and bringing new development opportunities for international brands and Macau enterprises.
Tai also underlined the MSAR government’s commitment to leveraging Macau’s institutional advantages of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world, thereby facilitating the entry of French brands into the Chinese mainland’s vast market using Macau as a platform while also creating favourable conditions for brands from the Chinese mainland to enter the international market via Macau.
Also delivering a speech during yesterday’s ceremony, Raffarin noted that Macau features a combination of deep traditional Chinese culture and international opening-up, making it a unique place where civilisations converge and peace is practised.
Raffarin underlined that the Bonjour Brand Forum (Macao) has established an important platform for mutual learning between Chinese and French brands, adding that culture is one of the most important elements in China-France cooperation, where mutual respect is the essence.
Raffarin suggested that China-France cooperation can be deepened in two major aspects, namely promoting dialogue between creative elites from China and France and positioning Macau as a vehicle for cultural exchange between the two countries; and deepening two-way financial investment and leveraging fund instruments to support business interaction between the two sides.
Dignitaries applaud after symbolically launching the Bonjour Brand Forum (Macao) at MGM MACAU in Nape yesterday, including Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (centre), French Special Representative for China Jean-Pierre Raffarin (fourth from left), Foreign Ministry Commissioner Bian Lixin (fourth from right), Secretary for Economy and Finance Anton Tai Kin Ip (third from left), Yin Rutao (third from right), a deputy head of the Publicity, Culture and Sports Department of the Central People’s Government Liaison Office, and Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau Christile Drulhe (second from left). – Photo: GCS
