Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai yesterday morning visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders during his working visit to the capital of Jiangsu Province, where he observed a moment of silence, laid a wreath, and arranged the elegiac couplet on the wreath, in tribute to the Nanjing Massacre victims, reaffirming a commitment to remembering history and honouring the nation’s martyrs, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday.
Sam returned to Macau yesterday evening after concluding his five-day fact-finding visit to Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, Shanghai Municipality, and Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, which started on Saturday last week.
Sam departed for Nanjing from Shanghai on Tuesday.
At the Memorial Hall complex, the statement said, Sam and members of his delegation visited the exhibition hall and the “Pit of Ten Thousand Corpses” site, reflecting on the solemn and stirring journey of the Chinese people’s bloody struggle during their War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
The statement also noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, quoting Sam as pledging that the Macau government will, in tandem with the nation’s commemorative arrangements, ensure the good organisation of its various commemorative activities to be held under the guiding principles of “Remembering History, Honouring Martyrs, Cherishing Peace, and Creating a Great Future”, aiming to educate residents, particularly the younger generation, about the significance of the victory in the war of resistance and the great spirit of patriotism.
The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders opened to the public on August 15, 1985, the 40th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Since its opening, it has undergone expansion and renovation a number of times.
The Nanjing Massacre took place after Japanese troops captured the city on December 13, 1937. The Japanese invaders cruelly slayed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in over six weeks in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.
In February 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) designated December 13 as the National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre. At that time, the NPC Standing Committee also designated September 3 as the Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, to commemorate the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on September 2, 1945.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the nation will hold a grand military parade in Beijing on September 3.
Sam stresses potential for Jiangsu-Macau high-tech cooperation
Meanwhile, according to a separate GCS statement, Sam yesterday met with Communist Party of China (CPC) Jiangsu Provincial Committee Secretary Xin Changxing, where they exchanged views on deepening cooperation between Jiangsu and Macau across various sectors.
During yesterday’s meeting, according to the statement, Sam expressed his gratitude to Jiangsu for its long-standing support for Macau’s sustainable development and its efforts to advance Jiangsu-Macau collaboration. Sam noted that the two places have built a robust partnership over the years, seizing new opportunities and achieving tangible outcomes while serving the nation’s overall development. This progress has laid a stronger foundation for further cooperation, fostering a complementary and mutually-beneficial relationship, Sam said.
Sam said he expects the two sides to chart a future path for Jiangsu-Macau collaboration, particularly in Macau’s four new key industries, which are expected to create broader opportunities. Sam also said he expects enterprises in Jiangsu to invest in Macau and research institutions in the province to establish a presence in Macau.
During the meeting, according to the statement, Sam highlighted potential areas for enhancing Jiangsu-Macau collaboration, including technological innovation, traditional Chinese medicine, cultural tourism, conventions and exhibitions, and the cultivation of talent. Sam also underlined the importance of leveraging Jiangsu’s advanced expertise in research and development and its commercialisation, saying that it will help boost Macau’s high-tech industries while creating new opportunities for Jiangsu.
Sam said that by making further use of their respective potential, the two places can jointly make greater contributions to the nation’s scientific and technological advancement. Sam also pledged that Macau will continue to leverage its unique role as a platform connecting Portuguese-speaking countries so as to continuously enrich its positioning as “One Centre, One Platform, One Base”*, with the aim of injecting new impetus into high-quality Jiangsu-Macau cooperation.
Meanwhile, after their meeting, Sam and Xin witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement on promoting industry-academia-research collaboration between the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education and the Macau Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ).
According to the statement, the agreement aims to deepen integrated development in “education-technology-talent” by making use of complementary strengths in the areas of educational resources, commercialisation of research results, and service platforms, in order to advance bilateral cooperation.
*The phrase “One Centre, One Platform, One Base” is the official strategic positioning for Macau. It serves as a blueprint for Macau’s economic diversification and its role within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) project. “One Centre” refers to Macau role as a World Centre for Tourism and Leisure. “One Platform” denotes Macau role as a Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries. “One Base” refers to Macau’s role as a Base for Exchange and Cooperation where Chinese Culture is the Mainstream and Diverse Cultures Coexist. – DeepSeek
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai arranges the elegiac couplet on a wreath during his visit to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders yesterday. – Photo: GCS
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (left) meets with Communist Party of China (CPC) Jiangsu Provincial Committee Secretary Xin Changxing at Xikang Hotel in Nanjing yesterday. – Photo: GCS
