NPC and CPPCC meetings | Region’s role as Lusophone link highlighted in Beijing

Chan Meng Kam delivers a speech at the third session of the 12th CPPCC

Macau is expected to playing an even larger role as a regional platform, as local delegates at the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) have proposed multiple functions for the city to develop based on its comparative advantages.
With Macau being positioned as a service platform for China and Lusophone countries’ trade and economic cooperation, NPC delegates Kou Hoi In and Lao Ngai Leong proposed to build the city into a RMB clearing center that’s dedicated to Lusophone and Latin American trade partners.
“There is a huge demand on RMB clearing financial services in cross-border trade, but currently Chinese banks in the Portuguese-speaking countries still haven’t achieved full coverage service network,” said Kou in Wednesday’s meeting, as cited by local Chinese newspaper, Jornal do Cidadao.
According to Kou, the trade volume between China and Lusophone countries has expanded to USD132.58 billion in 2014 from the initial USD10 billion more than a decade ago.
Delegates said Macau has the necessary features to be playing the above-mentioned role, with a complete liquidation channel, mature competence of RMB business, free flow of capital and foreign exchange, as well as its cultural and historical background.
Meanwhile at the consultative conference, delegate Chan Meng Kam suggested elevating Macau’s function in the cross-strait relations between Taiwan and the mainland. Chan said Macau should “build an upgraded version” of its relations with Taiwan, as an example and forerunner of promoting “one country, two systems.”
“Macau has been playing a special role in cross-strait relations. As the peaceful development is entering a new phase, Macau’s role as a platform will not weaken but only be added new missions,” he said in a speech at the assembly. The delegate suggested that the MSAR could establish a formal official liaison mechanism to explore exchanges with different political parties and cities in Taiwan.
As for cultural exchange events being held in town, Chan stressed they should strengthen the theme of “two sides sharing the same blood and culture like a family,” in order to the narrow the psychological distance between compatriots on both sides.
Moreover, he suggested facilitating regional integration and developing a large trade cooperation platform for four places across the straits.
In addition, at the NPC Macau delegation’s meeting yesterday, the director of the Chinese Liaison Office in Macau, Li Gang, shared the SAR’s experience in judicial procedure, as a reference to the mainland’s judicial reform. BY