The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today met with the visiting Portuguese Prime Minister, Mr Luís Montenegro, to exchange views on how to strengthen Macao’s unique role in consolidating the friendly relations between China and Portugal, and enhance exchanges and cooperation between Macao and Portugal.

At the meeting held this morning at the Government Headquarters, Mr Sam began by welcoming the Portuguese Prime Minister and his delegation to the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR). He noted that Macao’s inclusion in Mr Montenegro’s first visit to China demonstrated the importance attached by the Portuguese Government to Macao and reflected its friendship. This, he added, would further strengthen Macao-Portugal cooperation, while enhancing Macao’s role as a “precise connector” between China and Portuguese-speaking nations.

Mr Sam highlighted the significance of the in-depth discussions Prime Minister Montenegro had in Beijing with President Xi Jinping and other state leaders, regarding bilateral ties and other issues of mutual interest. The Chief Executive said he considered such meetings to be of great importance in advancing, under new circumstances, Macao’s role as a cooperation platform and in further strengthening relations between China and Portugal.

The Chief Executive briefed the Portuguese Prime Minister on the successful implementation of the “One country, two systems” principle in Macao, the achievements made in various development areas since Macao’s return to the motherland, and the priorities of the current administration.

During the meeting, Mr Sam also noted that the MSAR Government is firmly committed to protecting the rights, customs, and cultural traditions of Portuguese residents in Macao, and to actively promoting the teaching and dissemination of the Portuguese language locally.

At the governmental level, the MSAR has maintained close communication and exchanges with Portugal. Through the Macao-Portugal Joint Committee mechanism, bilateral exchanges and cooperation have been further consolidated, pragmatically facilitating the signing of multiple agreements in various sectors, said the Chief Executive.

Mr Sam noted that since Macao’s return to the motherland, successive Portuguese governments have consistently expressed their expectations for the MSAR’s stability and prosperity, while providing substantial support. In particular, in advancing cooperation between China and Portugal, as well as with the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), Portugal has actively promoted Macao’s bridging role. For this, Mr Sam expressed his sincere gratitude and deep appreciation.

Mr Sam also highlighted the enduring China-Portugal friendship, and the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, with special emphasis on leveraging Macao’s unique position to promote China-Portuguese exchanges and cooperation. As the world’s only region using both Chinese and Portuguese as its official languages, and with strong support from both countries, Macao hosts the headquarters of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), and is committed to implementing other initiatives that can deepen bilateral cooperation in various areas, he added. Macao, said the Chief Executive, continues to strengthen its role as a commercial cooperation platform, thus contributing to the deepening of relations between China and Portugal.

Looking ahead, Mr Sam expressed confidence that, with the attention, guidance, and support of the leaders of China and Portugal, both Macao and Portugal would continue to deepen mutual trust and cooperation, increase friendly exchanges, better serve the well-being of their peoples, and elevate bilateral collaboration to new heights.

Prime Minister Montenegro spoke highly of Macao’s successful implementation of the “One country, two systems” principle, and of the significant achievements the city has made since the return to its motherland. Mr Montenegro also commended Macao’s efforts to preserve its cultural diversity, including Portuguese culture.

The Portuguese Prime Minister said he hoped to deepen Macao-Portugal cooperation across various sectors through the Macao-Portugal Joint Committee, supporting Macao’s role as a bridge in China’s collaboration with Portuguese-speaking countries and the CPLP. He expressed confidence that Macao would achieve further development under the leadership of the new-term MSAR Government, and looked forward to a visit by the Chief Executive to Portugal at an appropriate time.

During the meeting, both sides acknowledged the positive results achieved in the past six meetings of the Macao-Portugal Joint Committee, and tentatively scheduled its seventh meeting for early February next year in order to expand practical cooperation.

Officials attending the meeting included: the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, Mr Zhao Bentang; the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the MSAR, Mr Liu Xianfa; the Secretary for Administration and Justice of the MSAR Government, Mr Cheong Weng Chon; the Secretary for Economy and Finance of the MSAR Government, Mr Tai Kin Ip; and the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office of the MSAR Government, Ms Chan Kak.

The Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Mr Paulo Rangel; the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion of Portugal, Mr Manuel Castro Almeida; the Portuguese Ambassador to China, Mr Paulo Jorge Nascimento; and the Consul-General of Portugal in Macao, Mr Alexandre José dos Reis Leitão, were also present at the meeting.