Gary Ngai warns Macau is set to ‘become another small part of Zhuhai’

The current administration lacks a global strategy and vision when it comes to diversifying the city’s economy and developing into a platform and bridge between China and the world, according to Gary Ngai Mei Cheong, president of the Macau Association for the Promotion of Exchange between Asia-Pacific and Latin America (MAPEAL). This has the potential to reduce the special administrative region to merely a small Chinese city, he told the Times.
Gary Ngai suggested four steps for the region to truly transform itself into a platform that allows for “people-to-people connection” between China and Latin American countries.
“Latin America, in the 21st century, is no more the backyard of the United States. It became an open space for everybody, especially for the other side of the Pacific: Asia”, he said.
The connection with the Latin American world is the “strong point” of Macau, “something that the others in Hong Kong or Shanghai or Guangzhou cannot compete with.”
“We have a history of over 400 years here, contacts between East and West, especially with the Latin communities of the world,” Mr Ngai said.
He pointed out that Macau was one of the first starting points of the maritime silk route that brought on a global exchange of cultures and merchandise in the past, and as such it should clarify its own history so that residents “can understand the position of Macau not just as the center of gambling.”
“We are number one in the world in terms of gambling, but this is nothing for us. It’s only money and nothing else. (…) Where is the culture? We have that for 400 years but we don’t touch it. The Macau government doesn’t pay enough attention to it.”
Gary Ngai thinks that the indifference the Macau government has shown toward the cultural life of the city is reflected in “a big gap of understanding” between the administration and scholars in Macau.
“[The government thinks that] gambling is enough.  [With] the money and enough tourists coming, that’s all! They don’t care about how to further education and have more Macau people learn foreign language such as English, Portuguese, Spanish and other languages. Do they put enough attention to that? No!”
He believes that the alleged lack of government support for MAPEAL speaks to the current Chui administration’s inactivity, and the difference in vision between the government and the community.
“[There is a] lack of initiative to follow the new trend of the relations between China and Latin America. [The government] is lagging behind [and is] very passive.”
Moreover, the association’s president thinks that Macau is becoming complacent in its current affluent condition, which he believes is dangerous. “In China, we said ‘be vigilant in peace time (居安思危)’, but there is no vigilance now.”
With Macau’s government and economy heavily dependent on the gambling industry, and the fact that an increasing number of Asian countries and regions are legalizing gambling, Gary Ngai thinks that the MSAR will eventually lose its competitive edge.
“The central government has already pointed this out: [Macau has] to diversity [its] economy. And Latin America is one place that [Macau] can use.”
He said that Brazil, one of the strongest countries in the Latin world, can be Macau’s first target, because of the two countries’ shared Portuguese language and heritage.
He pointed out that the Chinese president has considered Brazil as the bridge through which China can build a better relationship with Latin American countries. Even the former CE, Edmund Ho, had previously indicated that Brazil is a country where Macau can expand its relations with other Latin American countries.
“But is the Macau government using it? Unfortunately, no.”
To bring about change, Gary Ngai has suggested four steps to transform Macau into the true bridge connecting China and Latin America. These include training of the local workforce, the exchange of people and culture, the creation of new travel routes and the establishment of business connections.
“First of all, train your own people! We should establish post-graduate studies of Latin America. It doesn’t exist in China yet and Macau is the best place for that.
“[Macau] should train [its] own people in the Portuguese and Spanish languages, the history, culture and politics of Latin America and China. [Macau] should be a broker that knows both sides.”
The president then suggested the exchange of people and students. He gave the Macau Youth Orchestra as an example, saying that the government does not provide the group with any resources to visit Latin America, despite the fact that they are supported to go to Europe and North America.
The third step, he thinks, is to establish a new contact in the form of an air route. “Now, we have no direct flights to Latin America and there is a need for that.”
Nevertheless, he said that although there is already an agreement between the aviation authorities of Macau and Chile, it can be determined by the CE to allow flight operations between the two locations. However, permission never came from the top office of the Macau government and Gary Ngai revealed that the Chilean consul-general was very disappointed.
The forth step is to establish business networks. He believes that Macau can encourage local enterprises and businesses from nearby regions to invest in Latin American countries.
The president also suggested that the Macau government should invest part of its reserve there in the form of a sovereign fund.
“There is a lot we can do, if the Macau government has the will to do them,” Gary Ngai said.
He agreed that Macau has wasted a lot of opportunities and invitations from the other side to strengthen the relationship. “We are just lying here, doing nothing… You can’t survive in a competitive world like that.”
He concluded by warning that if the Macau government continues its inaction, “you will see Macau will completely become another small part of Zhuhai, that’s all.”