Macau Chief Executive, Chui Sai On, said Thursday that Macau’s engagement in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) could promote closer cooperation between Macau and Thailand.
The Greater Bay Area development could offer benefits to overseas economies willing to participate in the project, said Chui during a meeting in Bangkok with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, Prayuth Chan-ocha.
Macau welcomes closer ties with Thailand, particularly in areas such as tourism, cultural affairs, economy and trade, and financial services. The Macau Government is looking forward to learning from Thailand’s experience as a long-standing global tourism destination, said the Chief Executive.
The two sides should jointly participate in the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative, making use of their respective strengths and with a focus on the initiative’s goals of “unimpeded trade”, “financial integration”, and “people-to-people bonds”.
During the meeting, the Chief Executive briefed Chan-ocha on Macau’s development prospects.
Chan-ocha highlighted the deepening ties between Macau and Thailand in various areas, as a result of years of successful cooperation. He added that the Thai Government had a policy of promoting tourism cooperation with neighbouring jurisdictions; that could be another driving force for sustainable links between Macau and Thailand links.
Chan-ocha also stated that, following Macau’s inclusion in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, there were good opportunities for cooperation in gastronomy, as well as in garment, creative industries and hospitality.
The Thai Prime Minister said he believe that Macau could become an important gateway for Thailand to access markets in southern China, benefiting from the launch of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the “Belt and Road” initiative and the development of the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region.
Macau and Thailand should jointly take advantage of the opportunities created by the “Belt and Road” initiative with each side leveraging their respective advantages for business promotion, Macau’s Chief Executive said in Bangkok when meeting the foreign minister of Thailand.
Chui Sai On, who is visiting Thailand as part of a tour that also included Cambodia noted that, with the support of the central government, Macau is committed to the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Great Bay as well as to enhance its performance as a Platform for Services for Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries.
Chui Sai On also said the Macau government intends to carry out actions with Thailand in the areas of education and traditional medicine, and the Portuguese-speaking markets, in order to increase strategic cooperation between the two territories.
The Chief Executive said that the Macau Foundation had launched the “Belt and Road” scholarship that opens Macau to students from Thailand who want to improve their knowledge.
Chui Sai On witnessed, alongside the Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, the signing of the memorandum of understanding for twinning of Macau with the Thai province of Phuket.
In Phnom Penh, before visiting Thailand, Chui Sai On Macau is committed to building the World Tourism and Leisure Centre and in fulfilling its role as a Service Platform for Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.
He also said Macau is also committed to training staff for the exhibition and convention sector, traditional Chinese medicine, the financial system with its own characteristics and the cultural and creative industries. It also intends to participate in the construction of the national ‘Belt and Road’ initiative and to focus on the faster promotion of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Great Bay, taking full advantage of the characteristics of the territory.
The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) carried out promotional activities in Cambodia as part of an official visit by the Chief Executive and the Macau delegation to the country. These included a seminar on tourism and promotion of Macau’s investment environment, a photographic exhibition on “One country, two systems” and participation in the construction of the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative.
