Chief Executive (CE) Sam Hou Fai of Macao has postponed his first official trip to Portugal and Spain for a second time, providing no reasons for the latest delay.
A new date for the trip – originally scheduled to take place from 16 to 23 September – has not yet been announced, according to government sources cited by multiple media outlets.
Sam was due to visit the Portuguese capital of Lisbon and the Spanish capital of Madrid in what would have been his inaugural overseas trip after taking on the role as the head of Macao’s government on 20 December 2024. Local news outlets reported that media registration for Sam’s trip had commenced on 26 August.
The CE has already postponed his Portugal trip once before. In April, the 63-year old announced his intention to travel to Portugal during the first half of the year. This trip was ultimately pushed back, as the CE wished to deal with domestic matters and give the newly re-elected Portuguese government of Luís Montenegro room to “transition.”
Sam maintains a strong connection with Portugal, as he speaks Portuguese fluently and studied the country’s language, culture and law at the University of Coimbra.
[See more: Prime Minister Luís Montenegro of Portugal will visit Macao in September, reports say]
The Macao leader has spoken positively about Portuguese culture, telling reporters during his candidacy press conference last August that he enjoyed his experience studying in Portugal in the 1990s and developed a taste for Portuguese red wine during this period.
At a Portugal Day reception in June, Sam also thanked the Portuguese community for its “significant contributions” to Macao and mentioned the city’s harmonious blend of Chinese and Portuguese heritage.
Once Sam’s tour finally gets underway, it will represent the first trip of its kind since the one taken by the previous CE Ho Yat Seng in April 2023.
All of Macao’s previous CEs have visited Portugal on their first overseas trip in office, reaffirming Macao’s connection to Portugal.
For over 400 years, the Iberian nation was responsible for administering the city, passing the reins back to mainland China in December 1999. Portuguese influence remains present in Macao and is a feature that the authorities are seeking to take advantage of through ventures such as Forum Macao.
