Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng arrived in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, yesterday afternoon where he is scheduled to attend the 2023 Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Cooperation Chief Executive Joint Conference today, and upon arrival had a meeting with Communist Party of China (CPC) Guizhou Provincial Committee Secretary Xu Lin, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) last night.
The joint conference is a platform launched in 2004 for regional cooperation between eight provinces, one autonomous region and the nation’s two special administrative regions (SARs), collectively known as “9+2”, namely the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan; the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
Ho is scheduled to return to Macau today after attending the joint conference. The delegation on the two-day-visit led by Ho includes senior local officials such as Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong.
Ho’s Hong Kong counterpart, John Lee Ka-chiu, travelled to Guiyang on Wednesday for today’s joint conference. Lee is also scheduled to return to Hong Kong today.
During yesterday’s meeting between Ho and Xu, according to last night’s GCS statement, both exchanged views on deepening cooperation between Macau and Guizhou.
Ho acknowledged Guizhou’s effort in organising this year’s joint conference. Ho noted that this year is the first post-COVID-19 joint conference, because of which the Macau government is expecting to fully resume exchanges and cooperation with other PPRD members in various aspects.
Ho underlined that Macau and Guizhou have been maintaining close cooperation with each other. Ho noted that Macau began to participate in poverty alleviation in Guizhou a few years ago, which he said has been promoting Macau-Guizhou cooperation in various fields such as education, human resources, MICE, agricultural products, healthcare, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
During the meeting, Ho noted that TCM is an important component that is able to activate the development of a big health sector, one of the four new key industries of the Macau government’s ongoing “1+4” drive aiming to appropriately diversify Macau’s economy.
The Macau government’s 1+4 model aims to consolidate the development of the city’s tourism and leisure industry while putting special emphasis on promoting the development of four new key industries, namely 1) big health, 2) modern finance, 3) high-tech, and 4) conventions and exhibitions as well as culture and sport.
Ho underlined during his meeting with Xu that the central government is strongly supporting Macau’s development of a big health sector, because of which, he said, the sector is expected to have promising prospects.
For the next phase, according to the statement, Ho suggested that Guizhou strengthen its cooperation with Macau in TCM and big health. Ho also said that he is eager for Guizhou to grasp the opportunities resulting from the ongoing development of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
In his meeting with Ho, according to last night’s GCS statement, Xu expressed his gratitude to the Macau government for its long-term support for Guizhou’s development. In addition, Xu also acknowledged Macau’s contribution to helping the province in winning its battle against poverty. Xu praised the patriotism of the Macau government and Macau’s civil society, according to the statement.
Xu pledged that Guizhou will continue to strengthen its cooperation with Macau.
Ho meets Yunnan, Sichuan governors
Meanwhile, after his meeting with Xu, Ho also met with Yunnan Governor Wang Yubo in Guiyang, according to a separate GCS statement last night.
In his meeting with Wang, Ho said that Macau is expecting to strengthen its cooperation with Yunnan in TCM and big health.
In the meeting, according to the statement, Wang underlined Yunnan’s rapid development in land and air transport over recent years, which he said is able to promote the province’s advantage of its tourism industry.
Wang pledged that Yunnan would expand its cooperation with Macau in the manufacturing as well as the research and development of TCM products.
Meanwhile, Ho also met with Sichuan Governor Huang Qiang in Guiyang last night, according to another GCS statement.
In his meeting with Huang, Ho suggested that Sichuan and Macau jointly grasp the new opportunities created by the Macau government’s ongoing 1+4 drive and the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone’s ongoing development.
In the meeting, according to the GCS statement, Huang said that he expects Macau to increase its participation in the ongoing development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin City Economic Circle.
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province, which abuts the municipality of Chongqing, one of the world’s megacities.
Huang said that he also expects Macau to make good use of its role as a business service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs) with the aim of helping Sichuan strengthen its cooperation with PSCs, according to the statement.
Guiyang lies some 850 kilometres northwest of Macau. Guizhou has about 38 million inhabitants.
Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (left) shakes hands with Communist Party of China (CPC) Guizhou Provincial Committee Secretary Xu Lin in the provincial capital of Guiyang yesterday. – Photo: GCS
Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (right) shakes hands with Yunnan Governor Wang Yubo in Guiyang yesterday. – Photo: GCS
Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (left) shakes hands with Sichuan Governor Huang Qiang in Guiyang yesterday. – Photo: GCS
