(Macao – 25 October 2023) The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, attended a high-level meeting on Tuesday (24 October) with the Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Mr Zhou Zuyi, and the Governor of Fujian Province, Mr Zhao Long, in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation further, building on the foundations of past high-quality cooperation. Such additional effort would be in order to utilise better – and take advantage of – the unique characteristics of the two cities, and to support jointly the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative. Also present at the meeting was the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Mr Zheng Xincong.

Mr Ho said that the high-level meeting between Fujian and Macao officials and the Fujian-Macao Cooperation Conference mechanism had laid a solid foundation for cooperation between the two places. Over the years, their governments had actively participated in, and contributed to, the construction of the Belt and Road initiative, worked together to expand the markets of Portuguese-speaking countries, and continued to promote cooperation between Fujian and Macao. Exchanges and cooperation in multiple fields had achieved fruitful results.

People from Fujian account for one-quarter of the total population of Macao, or circa 160,000 individuals. The delegation for this week’s visit to Fujian included 70 Macao entrepreneurs, most of them with links to Fujian. Their hope was for further promotion of existing cooperation between the two places and creating broader prospects for fresh cooperation.

The Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Mr Zhou, thanked the MSAR Government for always attaching great importance to cooperation between Fujian and Macao, and for providing high-quality and continuous support to the development of all aspects of Fujian Province. Secretary Zhou said that Fujian's development momentum was improving. That included the strengthening of economic and trade exchanges with Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa and South America, as well as Fujian continuing actively to integrate into the deployment of the country's Belt and Road initiative. He hoped to make further use of Macao’s role as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, in order to strengthen exchanges between Fujian and Portuguese-speaking countries. Fujian and Macao would pragmatically promote and jointly expand all-round cooperation in various fields.

The Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the MSAR, Mr Zheng, said he was grateful to Fujian for attaching great importance to, and supporting, Macao’s work. Director Zheng said that President Xi Jinping worked in Fujian for 17 and-a-half years, developing a series of important theoretical innovations and gaining practical experience. Fujian-Macao cooperation was an important fruit of that. In the new era and new journey, the importance of deepening cooperation between Fujian and Macao had become more prominent in enriching the successful practice of the "One country, two systems" principle with Macao characteristics, and promoting the construction of Fujian's cross-Strait integrated development demonstration zone. The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the MSAR would fully support cooperation between Fujian and Macao, better to serve the overall development of the country.

Also present at the Fujian-Macao high-level meeting were: member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, Mr Lin Baojin; member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Executive Vice Governor of Fujian Province, Ms Guo Ningning; member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary-General of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Mr Wu Xielin; Secretary-General of the Fujian Provincial Government, Mr Wu Bin; Deputy Secretary-General of CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Mr Zhou Kuanfen; Deputy Secretary-General of CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Director of the Political Research Office of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Mr Guo Guoyun; and Director of the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Mr Lin Wensheng. MSAR Government officials accompanying Mr Ho to Fujian include: the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Lei Wai Nong; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Hoi Lai Fong; and the Chief of Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Ku Mei Leng.

In the evening on Tuesday, Mr Ho, accompanied by officials of Fujian Province, visited the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys cultural and historic area in Fuzhou City. Also present were Mr Ho’s delegation and members of the Macao entrepreneur delegation. The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys cultural and historic area was promoted by President Xi during his time as Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee in the 1990s. The success of the protection and restoration project of the historic area was an example of the city’s enduring spirit and cultural heritage, and the experience gained from its conservation offered lessons for Macao.