Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, who was on the second day of his working visit to Spain, met with Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno in Madrid yesterday morning (local time), aiming to lay a solid foundation for enhancing future exchanges and cooperation between Macau and Spain in areas such as trade and investment, culture, and sci-tech innovation, according to a statement released by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) last night (Macau time).
Both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and advance mutual collaboration, the statement said.
Sam arrived Madrid on Tuesday evening (local time) after his four-day working visit to Lisbon, the Portuguese capital.
During the meeting, according to the statement, Sam noted that in recent years, China and Spain have had frequent high-level exchanges, with Spain’s King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez both having visited China, reflecting the deepening and substantive progress of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership.
Sam said that as a special administrative region of China, Macau has, since its return to the motherland, undertaken external engagement responsibilities. Leveraging the strengths of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, Sam said, Macau has continued to play a unique role as a platform for cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, including the successful hosting of multiple Ministerial Conferences of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), known as Forum Macao for short, as well as last year’s Conference of the Forum of Presidents of the Supreme Courts of Portuguese-speaking Countries and Territories. Through a series of international events, Sam said, Macau has effectively supported China’s external cooperation.
According to the statement, Sam noted that President Xi Jinping and the central government have clearly expressed support for Macau to become an important bridgehead for China’s opening-up. The ongoing visit by the MSAR delegation to Spain, comprising officials and business representatives, is a key step in fulfilling the central authorities’ requirement for Macau to expand its international engagement, Sam said.
Sam underlined that Macau is eager to take Spain as a starting point to extend Macau’s role as a China-Portuguese-speaking countries’ platform into the Spanish-speaking world, which involves expanding practical cooperation with Spain in trade, cultural tourism, and sci-tech innovation, while jointly promoting deeper and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and other Spanish-speaking countries.
According to the statement, Sam said that he expects Spain to support Macau in becoming an important platform for enhanced cooperation between China and Spanish-speaking countries across economic, cultural, and tourism fields.
According to the statement, Albares said during the meeting that the MSAR delegation’s visit presented a significant opportunity to deepen friendly relations between China and Spain. He said that Sam’s briefing about Macau enabled him to gain a better understanding of how Macau can serve as a vital connecting point for sustained exchanges and cooperation between China, Spain, and other Spanish-speaking countries.
Albares noted that Spain maintains close ties and frequent interactions with Portugal and Brazil, and welcomes Macau’s participation in these networks to jointly explore new areas of collaboration.
Looking forward, Albares said, Spain is ready to further strengthen economic, trade, and tourism cooperation with Macau, and expects to take part in future international economic and trade events held in Macau, thereby enhancing Spain’s global engagement and influence.
Albares also said that he expects an increase in the number of high-level visits and practical exchanges between Spain and Macau. Spain will also support the MSAR government in promoting the learning of the Spanish language in Macau, with a view to nurturing a greater number of Chinese-Spanish bilingual talents, the minister said.
Sam vows deeper cooperation with UN Tourism
Meanwhile, after arriving in Madrid on Tuesday evening (local time), Sam met with the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Shaikha Al Nuwais, on Tuesday night, where they exchanged views on topics such as deepening cooperation in tourism promotion, talent development, and expansion of international visitor markets, according to a GCS statement released yesterday evening (Macau time).
The United Nations (UN) agency headquartered in the Spanish capital is known as UN Tourism for short.
During the meeting, according to the statement, Sam expressed his gratitude to UN Tourism for its long-standing support for Macau’s development as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, as well as for fostering strong and effective cooperation mechanisms with the MSAR government.
Sam noted that since Macau became an associate member of UN Tourism in 1981, the two sides have established a solid and pragmatic partnership.
The MSAR was established on December 20, 1999, marking Macau’s return to the motherland and the end of Portugal’s temporary administration of the city.
Sam underlined during the meeting that the MSAR government has consistently participated in and supported the organisation’s initiatives and programmes, further strengthening Macau’s engagement in international tourism cooperation.
According to the statement, Sam suggested that both sides explore broader and deeper forms of collaboration in the future, with a view to enrich Macau’s role as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, advance sustainable tourism development, and cultivate high-calibre international tourism professionals.
During the meeting, Sam extended an invitation for Al Nuwais to lead a delegation to visit Macau for the next, 12th edition of the Global Tourism Economy Forum.
According to the statement, Al Nuwais said during the meeting that as Macau possesses a profound historical and cultural heritage, it holds significant advantages in promoting high-quality tourism development. She highlighted Macau’s rich resources in tourism education, which have supported successful collaboration between UN Tourism and the Macao University of Tourism (UTM). These joint initiatives have delivered tangible results, and the two sides can further enhance their cooperation framework to elevate global standards in tourism education, she said.
Al Nuwais also noted that the Global Tourism Economy Forum, established in Macau in 2012, has become a key international platform for tourism cooperation, with its work widely recognised and highly commended. She said she expects continued and deeper engagement with the forum to jointly contribute to the sustainable development of Macau’s tourism sector and the global industry.
After their meeting, Sam and Al Nuwais joined other guests at the “Macao Night” event, the closing ceremony of the “Discover Macao” Madrid Roadshow, which was jointly organised by the MSAR government and the Chinese Embassy in Spain.
Sam is scheduled to continue his four-nation European tour in Geneva today for talks with the World Trade Organisation (WTO), of which Macau is a founding member. He is slated to arrive for talks with Belgian and European Union officials tomorrow, arriving back in Macau on Sunday.
Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (right) shakes hands with Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno on the sidelines of their meeting in Madrid yesterday morning (local time). – Photo: GCS
Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (right) shakes hands with UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais on the sidelines of their meeting in Madrid on Tuesday night (local time). – Photo: GCS
