CE meets Chinese ambassador to Portugal during Lisbon visit

The Chief Executive (CE), Sam Hou Fai, met with the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, Yang Yirui, in Lisbon as part of his tour of the Portuguese capital.

According to the Government Information Bureau, the two exchanged views on supporting Macau in deepening multilateral exchanges and cooperation with Portugal, and on enhancing Macau’s role as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries to contribute to China’s national development.

During the meeting, Sam expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the Chinese Embassy in Portugal for their strong support for the current visit, as well as for their long-standing concern and support for the successful implementation in Macau of the “one country, two systems” principle.

Portugal is the first overseas destination visited by members of the current-term Macau government, underscoring that country’s significance and importance, the CE said.

The visit aims to implement the instructions delivered by President Xi Jinping during his inspection tour of Macau, and to advance the key cooperation consensus reached between the heads of state of China and Portugal.

It also seeks to showcase to the international community Macau’s achievements under the ‘One country, two systems’ principle since its return to the motherland.

Another goal is to promote the development opportunities available in Macau and Hengqin, and to further strengthen Macau’s role as a cooperation platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as a vital bridgehead for China’s opening to the world.

Sam highlighted that representatives of several mainland enterprises are traveling alongside the delegation in a “joint voyage” model to explore overseas markets – an initiative aligned with central authorities’ directives to support Macau in better integrating into and serving national development.

He also stressed that Macau will continue to deepen multilateral cooperation with Portugal, and expressed hope that the Chinese Embassy in Portugal will continue to provide support in advancing these efforts.

On his part, Ambassador Yang noted that the visit is not only large-scale but also high-level, and is expected to yield substantial results. He noted that Macau and Portugal share a unique historical connection and a solid foundation for cooperation, and that the CE’s visit holds great significance in further strengthening China-Portugal relations.

Ambassador Yang also remarked on the continued support of the Chinese Embassy for Macau’s development across all areas, particularly the local government’s efforts to advance the construction of the Guangdong-Macau Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.