Xie Shouguang
The president of China’s Social Sciences Academic Press, Xie Shouguang, has called on Macau’s local associations to participate in cultural exchange and connect with residents of countries involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
In Xie’s opinion, the easiest method of involving Macau in the strategy consists of “engaging associations into creating social solidarity and promoting exchange and bi-lateral cooperation.”
“Associations have advantages of being professional; […] Macau is a society of associations,” said Xie during the International Belt and Road Symposium held last week at the Macau Tower.
Xie, who is also the Secretary-General of the Chinese Sociological Association, thinks that the four groups of associations (the Macao Foundation, along with philanthropic, academic, and business associations) can become major contributors to the Belt and Road Initiative.
“Associations such as the China Charity Federation […] are most likely to show effect,” said Xie, who is also a visiting professor at the Institute for Society and Culture of the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST).
In order to contribute to China’s Belt and Road strategy, Xie thinks Macau’s associations should focus on the cooperation with Chinese associations and communities in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.
“This is the biggest advantage of Macau. Even though both Guangdong and Fujian share a similar advantage, the connection [between said groups] should be built through Macau associations,” said Xie, “in particular, through associations that carry out long-term philanthropy activities, through discovering projects along the Belt and Road countries, and through providing educational, cultural and medical services.”
Xie also expressed his hopes that the Macao Foundation can be a platform for cooperation between academic associations and think tanks.
“If China or Macau want to trigger people’s communication and connection [between countries involved in Belt and Road Initiative], the first thing we should do is work with local elite associations,” said Xie.
“Beijing and [the ministries of the Central Government have already done a lot of work. However, there is still work which can be done. […] Macau holds many convenient conditions and can be a platform for the cooperation between departments of the Central Government, or even for the communication among different political parties.”
Xie suggested that Macau’s members of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference submit new proposals as to how Macau associations should participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Xie also proposed the establishment of a specific fund relating to social solidarity among the abovementioned groups, and another fund for Belt and Road Initiative research.
“You [Macau] should build a sort of bridge to allow mainland organizations to conduct pre-training in Macau, as well as to invite Chinese associations from the Belt and Road countries to attend professional training sessions in Macau,” Xie said. JZ
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