Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai met with European Parliament Vice-President Younous Omarjee in Brussels yesterday, the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) has announced in a statement.
According to the statement, both exchanged views on further consolidating and expanding Macau's economic and trade partnership with the EU, increasing cultural exchanges between the two sides, and better leveraging Macau's platform advantages to contribute to the development of China-EU relations.
Omarjee is a French politician originally from Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department of France.
According to the statement, Sam briefed Omarjee about the development achievements Macau has made in successfully implementing the "One Country, Two Systems” principle, including social harmony and stability, sustained economic development, continuous improvement of people's livelihoods, and active engagement in foreign affairs and deepening international cooperation.
According to the statement, Sam said he hoped that his visit would enhance the European Parliament's comprehensive understanding of the "One Country, Two Systems" policy and help China and the EU continue their traditional friendship and develop friendly relations. He pointed out that the MSAR Government is fully implementing the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions, continuously developing various undertakings in the MSAR based on its "One Centre, One Platform, One Base”* concept. He also said, according to the statement, that the MSAR government continues focused on promoting Macau’s appropriately diversified economic development and advancing the construction of four major projects, all of which bring more opportunities for deepening cooperation between Macau and the EU. The MSAR Government particularly hopes to strengthen its precise alignment with the EU in areas such as innovation and technology development, green industries, and industry-academia-research collaboration, contributing to mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the EU within the broader context of the Chinese mainland’s high-level opening-up, Sam said.
Sam noted that the MSAR Government highly values its long-standing friendly relations with the EU. In 1992, Macau and the then European Economic Community (the predecessor of the EU) signed a trade and cooperation agreement, establishing a very close trade partnership, the chief executive noted, adding that Macau hopes to consolidate and continue developing its friendly relations with the EU.
Regarding the resumption of the EU-Macao Joint Commission meeting mechanism, Sam said he hopes to receive the cooperation of the European Parliament (EP). He stressed that the MSAR Government will continue to fully leverage Macau's platform role, combining it with the development opportunities of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between Macau and the EU in areas such as trade, tourism, and culture.
Omarjee said that Macau's history and special status are conducive to promoting dialogue and understanding between China and the EU, adding that the MSAR has the advantages of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and serves as a highly effective platform for cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs).
Omarjee noted that the MSAR government is actively expanding these platforms, adding he hopes that China-EU relations can also be further developed through Macau.
According to the statement, Omarjee also said that Macau can leverage its unique cultural characteristics to promote in-depth exchanges with European countries in the cultural and artistic fields, learning from each other's successful experiences and absorbing each other's strengths to jointly create more exciting cultural performances and further enhance Macau's tourism competitiveness. Furthermore, Omarjee said, European countries and Macau can strengthen connections and cooperation in innovative industries, green development, transportation and logistics, convention and exhibition services, and finance, seizing the development potential of both sides and achieving complementary advantages and common development at a higher level.
Also present at the meeting were Chinese Ambassador Cai Run, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU; the chief-of-office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Chan Kak; and the director of the Macao Economic and Trade Office to the European Union in Brussels, Lúcia Abrantes dos Santos.
N.B. Translation of the GCS statement arranged by the Post; minor edits and additions by the Post.
*The “One Centre, One Platform, One Base” concept is a strategic positioning framework that encapsulates the goals the MSAR aims to develop:
One Centre: A world centre of tourism and leisure.
One Platform: A commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries.
One Base: An exchange and cooperation base with Chinese culture as the mainstream, with diverse cultures co-existing. – MPD
Caption: Macau SAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (right) shakes hands with European Parliament (EP) Vice President Younous Omarjee in Brussels yesterday. - Photo: GCS
