Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai said yesterday in his address at the annual conference of the Chinese Language Press Institute (CLPI)* he hopes that the event will drive the growth of Chinese-language newspapers.
The 2026 Annual Conference in Macau is themed: “How Chinese-language newspapers can expand their influence amidst momentous changes in the world unseen in a century?”.
The four-day conference, held in collaboration with the Macau Media Workers Association, colloquially known in Cantonese as “kei hip” and Macao Daily News, started with a dinner at Banyan Tree Macau hotel in Cotai on Monday, while its official opening ceremony was held yesterday.
Macao Daily News is the city’s top-selling Chinese-language newspaper.
The ceremony was also attended by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Wallis O Lam; Bai Bing, deputy director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Macao Foundation (FM) President Wu Zhiliang, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and Sports Bureau (ID) President Deland Leong Wai Man Government Information Bureau (GCS) Director Louie Wong Lok I and other officials and representatives.
According to Sam, the CLPI has deep ties with Macau, having held its annual conferences in the city twice before, in 1996 and 2006. Its return after a 20-year gap is of great significance for promoting the development of the industry and for publicising Macau, he noted.
He emphasised that since its return to the motherland in 1999, Macau has achieved remarkable development, safeguards press and publication freedom in accordance with the law, and actively supports the healthy development of the media sector. At present, Macau is aligning itself with the national 15th Five-Year Plan, advancing its own 3rd Five-Year Plan, and accelerating the appropriate diversification of its economy and Macau–Hengqin integration, he added.
Sam expressed his hope that the conference participants would explore the city further, help publicise Macau, and fully leverage the media’s role in telling Macau’s story well and amplifying China’s voice.
In his speech, Macao Daily News Director-cum-Kei Hip Chairman Lok Po reviewed the evolution of Chinese-language newspaper industry, noting that artificial intelligence is profoundly reshaping the media and communications landscape.
The Chinese-language press faces both challenges and opportunities, Lok said, expressing hope that delegates at the conference would explore these issues alongside industry peers to open up new horizons for the sector.
According to GCS data released early this year, Macau’s media landscape included 13 Chinese-language dailies and 18 Chinese-language weeklies at that time.
* The Chinese Language Press Institute (CLPI – 世界中文報業協會) is an international organisation connecting Chinese-language newspaper industries worldwide. It was founded in Hong Kong in 1968 and is one of the oldest and most representative global Chinese-language press organisations. Headquartered in Hong Kong, it has over 100 member organisations, covering more than 30 countries and regions globally. – Deepseek, MPDG
Macao SAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (top) and Macao Daily News Director-cum-Macau Media Workers Association (Kei Hip) Chairman Lok Po address yesterday’s opening ceremony of the Chinese Language Press Institute’s (CLPI) annual conference at Banyan Tree Macau hotel at Galaxy Macau in Cotai. – Photos: MPDG
