Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said Tuesday that Macau’s Portuguese- and English-language media are an integral part of Macau’s multicultural environment, based on the city’s centuries-old history as a hub for Sino-Western cultural exchanges.
Chui also said that Macau’s English- and Portuguese-language media play a crucial role in promoting further exchanges between East and West.
Chui made the remarks in a speech during a Chinese New Year luncheon that he hosted for senior English- and Portuguese-language media company representatives at the garden pavilion of the government’s Santa Sancha Palace on Penha Hill.
Chui’s five policy secretaries and Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) Director Victor Chan Chi Ping attended the luncheon which included Portuguese-style pork cheeks and a traditional Chinese soup.
Chui said that his government was paying close attention to the opinions and suggestions reported by the local media.
The chief executive also said that the local government continued to respect press freedom. He also said that the government would continue to support the media sector’s development as a communication channel between the government and the population.
Chui also underlined Macau’s stable political and socio-economic situation last year, adding that the government would strengthen its efforts to participate proactively in the central government’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) conurbation project, based on the advantages offered by the “One Country, Two Systems” principle.
He also pointed out that this year will mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), as well as the election of his successor.
Chui’s second and constitutionally final consecutive 5-year term ends on December 19 this year when he will have served the local government continuously for 20 years, first 10 years as secretary for social affairs and culture and 10 years as head of the executive branch of government.
Chui had hosted a luncheon for senior representatives of Macau’s Chinese-language media at a local hotel on Monday.
