The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, cordially shakes hands with the Chinese Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Mr Yao Jing, during a meeting held in Madrid, Spain.The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, met with the Chinese Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Mr Yao Jing. They exchanged views on enhancing bilateral exchange, bolstering tourism and economic cooperation between Macao and Spain, and leveraging Macao’s platform role to expand connection with Spanish-speaking countries.
The meeting was held on Wednesday (22 April) at noon local time. Mr Sam arrived in Madrid in the afternoon on Tuesday (21 April), after a four-day visit to Lisbon, Portugal.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Mr Sam expressed his sincere gratitude to Ambassador Yao and the Chinese Embassy for the strong support in facilitating the visit to Spain by the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government delegation, together with representatives from the business sector.
Mr Sam stated that the MSAR has been systematically expanding exchanges and cooperation with Spanish-speaking countries, with the goal of becoming a “precise connector” between China and Spanish-speaking countries including Spain, thereby promoting mutual collaboration across industries and fostering shared economic development.
The Chief Executive gave a briefing on the vision behind the policy of establishing the China-Portuguese (Spanish) Speaking Countries Economic and Trade Service Centre, and its key role in assisting foreign enterprises to establish operations in Macao and Hengqin. Mr Sam expressed hope that the Embassy would continue to provide strong support in the future, working hand in hand with Macao to further broaden and deepen exchanges and cooperation between Macao and Spain.
Mr Sam briefed Mr Yao on Macao’s latest developments in tourism matters. Macao is a city of 33 square kilometres, and it has welcomed 11 million visitors so far this year, with the projection for the year being 41 million. Macao currently offered approximately 45,000 hotel rooms, over 30,000 of which are classified as five-star, with competitive value and superior facilities. This strong infrastructure positioned Macao as a competitive destination for international conferences or other events, posing a sound prospect for tourism cooperation. Mr Sam extended an invitation to Ambassador Yao to visit Macao for the upcoming Global Tourism Economy Forum.
Ambassador Yao warmly welcomed the Chief Executive and his delegation. He stated that, building on Macao’s established role as a platform for China-Portuguese-speaking countries’ cooperation, the MSAR could further extend its influence to Spanish-speaking nations, leveraging Spain as a gateway to Spanish-speaking Latin America and other Spanish-speaking nations.
He suggested that the successful model of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) could be expanded to include Spanish-speaking regions, broadening its scope and impact.
Spain is a tourism powerhouse and is the host country for the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Tourism represents a shared interest between Macao and Spain, and the potential for bilateral tourism cooperation is substantial, with broad prospects for growth, said Mr Yao.
The Ambassador suggested the MSAR Government leverage its policy advantages and that of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, to strengthen collaboration with Spain in the field of biopharmaceuticals, encouraging Spanish pharmaceutical enterprises to establish operations and develop their businesses in the Macao-Hengqin area.
Also present at Wednesday’s meeting were: the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Chan Kak; the President of Board of Directors of the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Che Weng Keong; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Director of the Macao Economic and Trade Office in Lisbon, Ms Lúcia Abrantes dos Santos; and officials from the Chinese Embassy in Spain, including Minister of the Embassy Mr Qu Xun, and Counsellor Mr Chang Hexi.
After the meeting, the Chinese Embassy hosted a reception for the Chief Executive and 18 representatives of the Chinese community in Spain. During the event, Mr Sam expressed hope of strengthened communication with overseas Chinese leaders, utilising their local networks to advance cultural and economic exchanges between China and Spain.