Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On will pay a weeklong visit to Lisbon and Porto from tomorrow until next Sunday, the Macau Government Spokesperson’s Office reconfirmed yesterday.
According to the statement, Chui said he hoped that Macau and Portugal could achieve further co-development, pledging that Macau would give play to its “unique advantages and functions” in strengthening and speeding up the development of its role as a business service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs).
The statement also quoted Chui as saying that the purpose of his working visit to Portugal was to strengthen the cooperative relationship between Macau and Portugal, and promote future cooperation between two places. The statement also quoted Chui as saying that he would promote Macau’s participation in the central government’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Greater Bay Area (GBA) conurbation project.
According to the statement, Chui pointed out that Macau is an important “element” of the Sino-Portuguese relationship, adding that Macau would continue to perform its role as a platform for China and PSCs to reinforce their economic and trade cooperation.
According to the statement, concerning Macau’s participation in the nation’s development, Chui said he believed that Macau is successfully practising the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, based on the concepts of “Macau people administering Macau” and Macau enjoying a high degree of autonomy, which, according to Chui, have been Macau’s “biggest achievements and biggest advantages”.
Chui praises Macanese
According to the statement, Chui stressed that during the 20 years since the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), the local government has always highly appreciated the role of the Macanese community in civil society, adding that the government has always been respecting and protecting the community’s language, culture, religious beliefs and habits, and encouraging them to participate in the MSAR’s development.
According to unofficial data, the Macanese community accounts for about two percent of the MSAR’s population. The community consists of the local residents of mixed Portuguese and Asian extraction, as well as a sizeable Diaspora.
According to the statement, Chui also stressed that the Macanese community has been playing an important bridging role for cultural communication, adding that the nation had “entered a new era”, Macau was “marching to a new stage”, and the Macanese community would perform “bigger and more positive” functions.
According to recent Portuguese media reports, Chui is slated to meet Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister António Costa during his stay in Portugal next week.
It will be Chui’s third official visit to Portugal. Chui’s second and constitutionally final consecutive 5-year term ends on December 19.
