Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has recently met with Helena König, Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Global Affairs of the European External Action Service to exchange views on post-pandemic economic recovery during his visit to Brussels, Belgium. According to a government statement released today (Thursday), Ho invited König and her delegation to Macau to gain a firsthand understanding of the overall development of the city. The city’s leader emphasised that the ‘one country, two systems’ formula under which Macau is governed had successfully been implemented in the city. He also added that its Basic Law – the city’s mini-constitution – had guaranteed its residents’ rights as the city enjoyed ongoing harmony and stability. Moreover, Ho also presented the package of economic stimulus and benefits his administration introduced to cushion the impact of the Covid pandemic on Macau in the last three years, as well as the ‘1 + 4’ economic diversification approach, the statement said. During the meeting, the chief executive emphasised that the European Union (EU) was Macau’s second-largest trading partner, and called for entrepreneurs from EU member states to explore emerging business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the cooperation zone between Hengqin and Macau. They also addressed concerns over the prospects of the GBA development. In response, König welcomed and thanked the delegation for paying a visit, saying that promoting economic recovery worldwide is of particular importance now after the three-year pandemic. Macau is an significant trading partner for the EU, and both sides will continue to strengthen cooperation in trade, and extend their partnership to other GBA cities, she was cited as saying. In addition to the meeting with the EU official, Ho also met with Beijing’s ambassador to the EU, Fu Cong; as well as Cao Zhongming, Beijing’s ambassador to Belgium. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the promotion of exchanges and cooperation on various fronts between Macau and EU member states including Belgium. The chief executive’s 10-day visit to Europe was aimed at strengthening the SAR’s interaction with Portugal, Luxembourg, and Belgium post-Covid. (ICE HONG KONG)

Fonte notizia: Macau Business