Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, who was on the last day of his three-day working visit to Spain yesterday, paid a courtesy call on Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Labour and Social Economy Yolanda Díaz Pérez in Madrid yesterday morning, where both sides exchanged views on expanding cooperation between Macau and Spain in the economy and trade, tourism, education, and science and technology, according to a statement released by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) last night (Macau time).
During the meeting, according to the statement, Sam noted that this year marks the 27th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland. As the first to pay a visit to Spain in the capacity as the MSAR’s chief executive, Sam said he feels deeply honoured, describing the trip as a significant milestone. Sam noted that China and Spain have had diplomatic relations for 53 years, and have maintained close diplomatic ties since establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2005. With recent visits to China by Spain’s King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, both countries have agreed on an action plan in order to further strengthen bilateral relations in the coming years, Sam noted.
Sam underlined that since its return to the motherland in 1999, Macau has steadfastly implemented the principles of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Macau people governing Macau”, and a high degree of autonomy. Macau’s way of life remains unchanged, enjoying executive, legislative, independent judicial and final adjudication powers, Sam noted, adding that the coexistence of different systems and deep integration of Chinese and Western cultures has created a unique, harmonious and inclusive environment. During the meeting, Sam invited Díaz to visit Macau to experience it firsthand, according to the statement.
During the meeting, Sam also said that Macau and Spain share many similarities in language, legal systems, history and culture, offering strong potential for deeper connections. By bringing to Spain a delegation of businesspeople from Macau, Hengqin, and various other places in the Chinese mainland, Sam said, the MSAR government aimed to enhance economic and trade exchanges between Macau and Spain, including strengthening cooperation in the conference, exhibition and tourism industries, and promoting mutual support, complementary advantages, and shared development.
In addition, given Spain’s strong scientific and technological capabilities and rich higher-education resources – as well as existing solid academic exchanges with Macau – both sides can jointly advance research and innovation, commercialisation of scientific research outcomes, and the training of future talent in science and technology, Sam said.
During the meeting, according to the statement, Díaz welcomed Sam and his delegation to Spain. She acknowledged Macau’s long-standing efforts in establishing itself as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, where numerous international conferences, exhibitions and forums are held every year, in which Spanish enterprises have also participated. Díaz said she believes such exchanges would bring the two sides even closer in the future.
Díaz also said that Sam’s visit presented an important opportunity to further strengthen high-level official exchanges and people-to-people cooperation between Spain and Macau. Leveraging the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain, she said, Macau can better utilise its unique advantages to deepen multilateral collaboration with Spain in economy and trade, tourism, culture, education, and technology, adding that this will inject new momentum into Sino-Spanish friendship and Macau’s high-quality development.
Díaz also thanked Sam for the invitation to Macau and expressed an interest in visiting Macau in the future to see its achievements firsthand.
Reception in Madrid
Meanwhile, during a reception hosted by the MSAR government in Madrid on Wednesday evening (local time), Sam delivered a speech underlining that expanding cooperation with Spanish-speaking countries is part of the MSAR government’s strategic development effort.
Sam noted that the MSAR government and the executive committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin jointly established the Service Centre for Economy and Trade between China and Portuguese/Spanish-speaking Countries in 2025, as well as a one-billion yuan development fund for promoting trade between China and Portuguese/Spanish-speaking countries, with the aim of extending Macau’s role as a China-Portuguese-speaking countries’ platform into the Spanish-speaking world.
According to a GCS statement released in the early hours of yesterday (Macau time), Sam noted in his speech that Macau has been an important window for exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilisations, and has maintained close and friendly ties with the West, particularly European countries including Spain.
Sam also underlined Macau’s commitment to becoming an important place for countries around the world, including Spain, to benefit from China’s rapid development.
Also delivering a speech during the reception, Second Vice President of the Senate of Spain Concepción Andreu Rodríguez said that both Spain and China share a strong desire to strengthen cooperation, adding that bilateral relations are at their best level in history.
Andreu also praised China’s remarkable achievements in the development of high technology, particularly in the rapid development of new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and energy storage, which has amazed the world, she said.
Andreu also acknowledged Macau’s vibrant and promising economic development, adding that both Spain and Macau are renowned world-class tourist destinations.
According to the statement, five cooperation agreements between Macau and Spain were signed during the reception.
Sam meets Spanish 2nd deputy speaker
Meanwhile, before the reception, Sam and Andreu held a meeting where they exchanged views on enhancing economic and trade ties and tourism cooperation between Macau and Spain, according to a separate GCS statement released in the early hours of yesterday (Macau time).
Sam said during the meeting that the MSAR government is vigorously advancing Macau’s appropriate economic diversification, expressing hope that, with strong support from Spanish authorities, enterprises from the Chinese mainland, Macau, and Spain can enhance long-term exchanges and cooperation for mutual benefit.
Andreu said during the meeting that Spain, as the world’s second-largest tourist destination, has developed diverse and mature tourism models, and is ready to share experiences with Macau to boost bilateral economic development through enhanced collaboration.
Sam meets Chinese ambassador to Spain & Andorra
Meanwhile, Sam also met with Chinese Ambassador to Spain and Andorra Yao Jing in Madrid at noon on Wednesday (local time), where they exchanged views on topics such as bolstering tourism and economic cooperation between Macau and Spain, and extending Macau’s role as a China-Portuguese-speaking countries’ platform into the Spanish-speaking world, according to a separate GCS statement released in the early hours of yesterday (Macau time).
During the meeting, Sam briefed Yao about the important functions played by the Service Centre for Economy and Trade between China and Portuguese/Spanish-speaking Countries in Hengqin in helping enterprises from the respective countries establish a presence in Macau or Hengqin.
Yao also said that, building on its well-established role as a platform for China-Portuguese-speaking countries’ cooperation, Macau can further extend its influence to Spanish-speaking nations, leveraging Spain as a gateway to Spanish-speaking Latin American countries and other Spanish-speaking nations.
Meanwhile, a business and investment promotion conference for enterprises from Macau, the Chinese mainland and Spain was held in Madrid on Wednesday afternoon (local time), where 43 business cooperation agreements were signed between enterprises from Spain and China comprising those from Macau and the Chinese mainland including Hengqin.
During a press briefing in Madrid on Wednesday night (local time), Sam noted that a total of 48 business cooperation agreements were signed in Madrid during the MSAR delegation’s visit.
According to previous announcements, a total of 61 business cooperation agreements were signed in Lisbon during the MSAR delegation’s visit there.
Spanish Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Labour and Social Economy Yolanda Díaz Pérez (left) shakes hands with Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai on the sidelines of their meeting in Madrid yesterday morning (local time). – Photo: GCS
Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (right) shakes hands with Second Vice President of the Senate of Spain Concepción Andreu Rodríguez on the sidelines of their meeting at a hotel in Madrid on Wednesday afternoon (local time), before they addressed a reception hosted by the MSAR government at the hotel. – Photo: GCS
