CE meets Head of China’s Mission to ASEAN during Jakarta visit

MACAU, September 1 - The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today met in Jakarta, Indonesia, with the Head of Mission and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Mr Wang Qing. They exchanged views on deepening mutually-beneficial cooperation between Macao and ASEAN.

Mr Sam arrived in Jakarta on the evening of Monday (31 August), leading a Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) delegation, following a three-day visit to Singapore

The Chief Executive expressed gratitude to the Mission of China to ASEAN for its strong support for the MSAR delegation’s ongoing overseas mission. The motherland has consistently supported the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in the leveraging of its geographical and policy advantages to become a new pivot for growth in terms of cooperation with ASEAN, Mr Sam noted. As an important part of the Greater Bay Area, Macao is willing to utilise fully its strengths, in order actively to align with ASEAN, enhance shared development momentum, and make greater contributions to the nation’s ongoing efforts in comprehensive external cooperation.

Macao has long maintained close exchanges with ASEAN countries, with several ASEAN nations ranking among Macao’s major sources of international visitors. The share of total visitor arrivals from such countries continues to grow. The MSAR Government remains committed to expanding market access to ASEAN countries and strengthening tourism collaboration between both sides.

The MSAR Government is closely aligning with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and is fully advancing the implementation of the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR (2026-2030). Effort being made includes the orderly development of four major projects, to establish a new framework for diversified industrial development.

Macao’s development in this period will bring new opportunities, said Mr Sam. The MSAR Government hopes to build upon the well-established cooperation mechanisms between China and ASEAN, focusing on mutually beneficial collaboration in areas such as convention and exhibition services, and the integration of culture and tourism, in order jointly to enhance the quality of development.

The ‘Big Health’ industry also holds vast potential in Southeast Asia, and enhanced cooperation in this sector will yield significant results, Mr Sam added. He expressed hope for continued support and assistance from China’s Mission to ASEAN in order further to strengthen economic and trade ties, as well as people-to-people exchanges between Macao and ASEAN countries. This would help Macao better to fulfil its role as a vital bridgehead for China’s high-level opening up.

Ambassador Wang said he welcomed Mr Sam’s visit to ASEAN countries with a governmental and business delegation. He highlighted that China-ASEAN cooperation is distinctive in its high-level strategic positioning, rapid development, broad outcomes, and frequent people-to-people exchanges underpinned by shared social foundations. The potential for cooperation between China and ASEAN is immense, with economic and trade collaboration being a key area of focus.

In this context, Macao is well positioned to leverage its unique advantage of “relying on the motherland and connecting with the world”, and to build upon the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN, said Mr Wang.

Through its development positioning as “One Centre, One Platform and One Base” and the concrete progress in related initiatives, Macao can further advance exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN in the fields of trade, tourism, and other matters, promoting synergistic development. China’s Mission to ASEAN will continue to maintain close communication with the MSAR Government, fully support Macao in implementing the “One country, two systems” principle and in achieving continuous progress across all sectors.

Also present at today’s meeting were: Macao’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Ng Wai Han; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Chan Kak; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ms Leong Wai Man; the President of the Board of Directors of the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Che Weng Keong; and Minister Counsellors of the Mission of China to ASEAN, Mr Wang Boyong and Ms Cai Yue.

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