Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng met yesterday with Hainan’s top officials during his ongoing working visit to the island province to exchange views on economic and trade matters, tourism, high- and new technology development, financial services, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the importance of cultivating talents to support development, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS).
During a meeting with the secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Shen Xiaoming, Ho noted that Hainan and Macau have huge room for cooperation in fields such as tourism, education, and science and technology. In particular, the two sides should work further on tourism, as flight times between the two places are quite short.
Ho is leading a delegation to Hainan for the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021. Ho arrived in Hainan yesterday and will attend the forum’s opening ceremony today.
According to the GCS statement, Ho briefed Shen on Macau’s successful fight against COVID-19 and its various measures to improve the economy and support the population during the pandemic.
Shen shared insights on the latest progress on economic development and free trade port development initiatives in Hainan. He noted that Hainan and Macau have similar economic structures, and underlined that both places are working to strengthen the resilience of their economies.
Shen pointed out that Hainan is looking forward to working more closely with Macau in order to strengthen cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries, bolster governmental and people-to-people exchanges, and promote a model of multi-destination tourism.
According to the statement, Ho and Shen vowed to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Members of the Macau delegation who attended the meeting included Macau-based Foreign Minister Commissioner Liu Xianfa, who had been invited by the local government to join Ho’s delegation as an adviser, Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong, and Hoi Lai Fong who heads Ho’s office.
The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021, which ends tomorrow, is themed “A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation”. The forum is mostly being held via in-person meetings. Some sessions will be held virtually to facilitate the participation of international representatives, to ensure the events are held in line with epidemic-control measures.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (left) meets with the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hainan Provincial Committee Secretary Shen Xiaoming in Hainan yesterday. Photo: GCS
