The high-tea reception, which was held in a restaurant at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre in Sai Van, was attended by about 80 people, including representatives from local media outlets, journalist associations in the city, and Chinese mainland media outlets stationed in Macau, as well as foreign media correspondents. Apart from GCS staff, press coordinators from the offices of government principal officials also attended the reception, which aimed to enhance mutual communication and exchanges between GCS and the news media.
In his speech, Wong noted that GCS held its annual tea reception for the news media again yesterday after it had not been held for “many” years, adding he expects his bureau to continue hosting the tea reception every year from now on, creating a communication platform to enhance interaction and exchange with the news media.
Wong has been GCS’s acting director since July last year, after Inês Chan Lou’s appointment as the bureau’s director was not renewed when it expired on June 30 last year.
Wong said that last year was an “eventful” one for Macau’s civil society and news media organisations, during which the election of the eighth-term Legislative Assembly (AL) was held smoothly, the 15th National Games, an event jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau for the first time, was a complete success, and a string of activities commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War were successfully organised.
In addition, Wong said, the local government effectively responded to Super Typhoon “Ragasa” – which pummelled Macau in September last year, safeguarding the lives and property of residents, adding that none of this would have been possible without the cooperation and support of the news media.
Wong also expressed his gratitude to the news media for their sustained attention to, and follow-up on, the local government’s administration and for their timely and widespread dissemination of information, which, he said, helped the government constantly improve its governance.
Wong noted that this year marks the beginning of the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Macau’s third five-year socioeconomic development plan, as well as the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Moreover, Wong noted, Macau will host the 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in June this year.
Wong said that as the government is carrying out its various tasks in an orderly manner, he expects the news media to continue to assist the government in engaging in extensive publicity of its work and in gathering public opinions.
Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) Acting Director Louie Wong Lok (centre) delivers a speech during yesterday’s high-tea reception for the news media in a restaurant at Macau Tower, flanked by other GCS officials. – Photo: Tony Wong
