Okonjo-Iweala lauds Macau’s achievements
Staff Reporter
Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday afternoon as the third stop on his four-nation European tour, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) this morning.
His first engagement in Geneva was a meeting at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian economist who has headed the intergovernmental organisation since March 2021. She is the first ever woman and also the first African to lead the 166-member organisation which includes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the separate Chinese customs territories of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
According to the GCS statement, the two sides exchanged views on strengthening Macau’s position within the multilateral trading system, enhancing Macau’s role as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), and fostering economic and trade links among WTO members – particularly PSCs and China.
Sam expressed his gratitude to the WTO for its long-standing support and assistance concerning the MSAR’s participation in multilateral trade activities. He noted that as a founding member of the WTO, "Macao, China" has long been an active participant in and supporter of various affairs within the multilateral trading system.
Sam, who arrived in Geneva after working visits to Portugal and Spain, noted that the MSAR operates the Macao Economic and Trade Office to the WTO in Geneva, maintaining close working relations with the WTO Secretariat.
At the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference held in March, the "Macao, China" delegation shared insights on the future direction of the multilateral trading system and explicitly supported the incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement into the WTO framework, the statement pointed out.
During the meeting, according to the statement, Sam provided an update on Macau’s latest developments. He pointed out that the MSAR Government is fully implementing the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important speeches and instructions. By leveraging the advantages of "One Country, Two Systems" and its unique strengths, Macau is expanding international exchange and cooperation. This includes promoting its strategic positions as "One Centre, One Platform, and One Base," as well as its development as a “talent hub”, ensuring these goals align organically with national development strategies to enhance Macau’s role in China’s wider opening-up.
The statement quoted Sam as emphasising that Macao will continue to fully support the WTO’s work in maintaining and promoting the multilateral trading system, while remaining attentive to how small economies can better integrate into that system. He invited Okonjo-Iweala to visit Macau to witness firsthand the remarkable economic and social leaps the city has made since its return to the motherland on December 20, 1999.
Welcoming Sam and his entourage to the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala noted that as a founding member, Macau has been a steadfast supporter of the organisation’s work. She highlighted the close ties between the WTO Secretariat and Macau’s representative office in Geneva and expressed her pleasure at hearing "Macao’s voice" during the 14th Ministerial Conference. Given the current complex and volatile global situation, she voiced her hope that Macau and the WTO would continue to move forward together to advance initiatives beneficial to multilateral trade, the statement said.
She lauded Macau’s achievements since its return to the motherland and acknowledged its enduring role as a cooperation platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs). She further expressed hope that the MSAR would assist more PSCs in joining the WTO, the statement added.
Furthermore, Okonjo-Iweala expressed hope that Macau would further support the development of relevant WTO special funds to better assist small economies in integrating into the multilateral trading system.
In response, according to the statement, Sam pledged that the MSAR Government would provide active support, noting that, based on its own successful experience as a small economy, Macau has much to offer and can play a proactive role in these efforts.
Also present at the meeting were the chief-of-office of the MSAR Chief Executive’s Office, Chan Kak; the director of the Macao Economic and Trade Office to the WTO, Lúcia Abrantes dos Santos; deputy director-general of the WTO, Zhang Xiangchen; and the chief of staff to the Director-General of the WTO, Bright Okogu, a Nigerian economist and international policy expert.
N.B. Translation and revision of the statement arranged by the Post. Minor edits and addenda.
P.S. “Macao” has been the official spelling of the MSAR’s name in English since December 20, 1999. However, customarily, the spelling “Macau” is also used in Macau and elsewhere in English. “Macau” is the official spelling in present-day Portuguese. In Portugal’s official spelling reform of 1911, the spelling of the name of the Portuguese-administered entrepôt was changed from “Macao” to “Macau”. The spellings “Macao” and “Macau” are used interchangeably in English-language media both in and outside Macau/Macao.
Caption: MSAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (left) shakes hands with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday. – Photo: GCS
