Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai has met this morning with Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel at Government Headquarters.
According to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS), Sam and Rangel discussed topics such as Macau and Portugal’s continued exchanges and cooperation in judicial and economic fields, as well as in trade and educational matters.
During the meeting, Sam briefed Rangel and his delegation on the latest developments in Macau and in the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
The statement quoted Sam as pointing out that Rangel is the first foreign minister he has received since becoming chief executive last December, reflecting the good relations between Macau and Portugal, adding that Macau and Portugal have a deep historical connection.
Macau returned from Portuguese to Chinese rule on December 20, 1999, based on the China-Portugal Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau.
After Macau’s return to the motherland, the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government – with strong support from the Central People’s Government – has always adhered to the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, "continued to retain continental European legal traditions, traditional culture, and customs, and maintained and expanded exchanges and cooperation with Portugal", the statement quoted Sam as saying during the meeting. At the same time, the chief executive underlined, Macau has been continuously promoting its role as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), fostering friendly exchanges and cooperation in various fields. Sam added he looked forward to visiting Portugal in the near future, the statement said.
The meeting was also attended by Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Wallis O Lam, Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office Chan Kak, Portugal’s Ambassador to China Paulo Jorge Nascimento, and Macau-based Consul-General of Portugal Alexandre José dos Reis Leitão.
Rangel, who had arrived in Macau from the 2025 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) last night, left for Hong Kong this evening. His visit to the nation's two administrative regions was the last leg of his four-day official visit to China where he held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday. He attended this year’s BFA in Hainan Province on Wednesday and yesterday.
Speaking to reporters during a reception hosted by the local Portuguese Consulate-General this afternoon, Rangel described his meeting as “very productive”. He also said that questions that the local Portuguese community is concerned about were discussed during the meeting. He declined to elaborate, merely saying that the questions should be given “space and time” so that solutions to them could be found in due course. He also said that Sam would pay a visit to Portugal this year, probably either shortly before August or in September.
Portugal will hold a snap election on May 18, after Portugal’s centre-right government lost a confidence in parliament and tendered its resignation earlier this month.
Macau will hold its legislative elections on September 14.
Rangel also said that the Macau-Portugal Joint Commission would meet in Macau in the second half of this year.
In Macau, Rangel visited Portugal's Consulate-General and the Portuguese School. In Hong Kong, he visited the Portuguese community's Club Lusitano* and an exhibition on the Portuguese community at the Hong Kong Museum of History.
*"Lusitano" refers to an ancient name associated with the region that is now modern-day Portugal. The name derives from the Lusitani, a people who inhabited the area during Roman times. The Romans referred to the region as "Lusitania," and over time it evolved into the modern nation of Portugal. - Poe
Caption: Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (right) and visiting Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel pose during a working meeting at Macau SAR Government Headquarters this morning. - Photo: GCS
