Macau and Portugal are historically closely connected and possess a strong foundation of partnership, Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong has said during his official visit to Portugal.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng is leading a delegation to Europe for his first official excursion. The delegation comprises Lei and Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário.
In a business enticement event co-hosted with the Portuguese government, Lei attempted to attract Portuguese investors with the “new mode of synergic development” between Macau and Hengqin.
According to the official, the development will be based on “shared fruits nurtured with regional and international resources.”
On the other hand, Francisco André, state secretary for diplomacy and cooperation of the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, expressed his elation that the Macau delegation picked his home country as the first stop in the debut foreign visit.
He described the arrival of the delegation as opening direct bridges between the business sectors of the two places. He hoped that cooperation will continue and improve, with particular emphasis on areas such as renewable energy, blue sustainable economy and healthcare. He also invited Macau entrepreneurs to invest in Portugal.
The event was to see 11 contract-signings and 68 negotiation sessions as well as 220 representatives from Macau, Portugal and Hengqin involved.
Lei added that the government would make full use of the opportunities offered by the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin to optimise the business environment so that Portuguese and other overseas investors could use Macau and Hengqin as an entry point into the 1.4-billion strong Chinese consumer market. AL
