EU Office head appointed to SARs says political development ‘not so common ground’ with China

Thomas Gnocchi, head of office, EU Office to Hong Kong and Macau, suggested there are political topics on which the EU and China did not agree.

On the sidelines of a business event, Gnocchi was asked, after the resumption of normality, how Macau is represented in overall EU-China relations.

He stated that EU and China have a lot of shared interests, providing sustainability and environmental protection as examples. Green topics, sustainability and climate change are topics that will be discussed not only with mainland China, but also with Macau.

Gnocchi was then asked about topics that both sides did not agree upon.

“We have spoken to the Macau authorities on areas such as the National Security Law and legislative assembly elections … Probably, these two areas… We believe they have an impact on ‘One country, two systems’,” Gnocchi said.

When asked about how Macau can attract talented individuals to develop its economy, the EU official admitted that talented people are needed in many areas in Macau. His suggestion is that Macau should consider how it can make itself attractive to European interests.

“Although many European companies possess the know-how, they must be able to bring in experts [if they choose to expand to Macau],” Gnocchi added.