Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng met with a delegation of Portuguese mayors and business leaders on Wednesday, to discuss ways of making more effective use of Macao as a bridge between China and the Portuguese-speaking world.
Present at the meeting, which took place at Government Headquarters, were the mayors of Lousada, Penafiel, Cinfães, Marco de Canaveses, Felgueiras, and Baião. Also present was the President of the Portuguese Business Association, Luís Miguel Magalhães Ribeiro.
According to a government readout of the meeting, Ho outlined the latest developments in Macao and Hengqin for the visitors and emphasised the close ties between Portugal and the SAR.
[See more: Portuguese citizens can travel to China visa-free from mid-October]
He said that Macao had actively preserved its unique mix of Chinese and Portuguese cultures, cuisines, traditions and languages, and emphasised its continuing role in facilitating economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.
The Portuguese delegation is in Macao to attend the 29th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair, which concludes tomorrow.
As part of their visit, members of the delegation are being encouraged to visit the Chinese mainland, taking advantage of new visa-free rules for Portuguese passport holders.
