On April 28, 2026, the Macau European Chamber of Commerce (MECC) and the Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) held their inaugural bilateral meeting to deepen exchanges, consolidate cooperative foundations, and explore long-term strategic collaboration.
The meeting was attended by representatives from both chambers:
* Macau European Chamber of Commerce: Echo Chan (President), Carlos Cid Álvares (Vice President and Board of Directors), Niall Murray (Vice President and Board of Directors), and Sunny Tang (Executive Assistant).
* Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce: Kelvin Tan (Chairman), Chill Lao (Acting Director General and Standing Vice Chairman), Sam Lei (Standing Vice Chairman), and Kylie Chim (Director).
During the session, representatives from both chambers introduced their respective institutional backgrounds, operational positioning and development objectives. The Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce commits to promoting trade, economic, cultural and tourism exchanges between Macau and ASEAN nations, while serving as a critical bridge linking the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN markets. The Macau European Chamber of Commerce, founded in 2012, gathers enterprise members from multiple European countries, maintains close liaison with governmental and regional organisations, and continuously facilitates commercial cooperation, industry networking and cultural exchange activities.
Both sides reviewed their ongoing operational work, including the organisation of international exhibitions, trade missions and business networking events. A series of practical cooperation proposals were reached, covering mutual sharing of event resources, joint arrangement of business matching sessions, reciprocal event invitations, interconnection of member networks, and regular information dissemination of upcoming activities. Both chambers agreed to establish a regular bilateral communication mechanism, with initial routine meetings to be held every six months.
Concrete action plans were confirmed at the meeting. The Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce will provide relevant information regarding its upcoming Vietnam business mission, while the Macau European Chamber of Commerce will extend event invitations in return. Both parties will exchange contact information and promptly disseminate collaborative opportunities to respective members.
In terms of event and cultural exchange, the two chambers shared key upcoming activities. The Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce will organize a business visit to Vietnam from 18 to 21 June, focusing on investment and market exploration in tourism and construction sectors. The Macau European Chamber of Commerce will host its annual gala dinner on May 15, 2026, with cultural events and business networking activities arranged on the sidelines. Both sides confirmed mutual participation in major events to enhance cultural understanding and practical business cooperation.
In addition, in-depth discussions were conducted on core international business development topics. Participants explored approaches to identifying and strengthening the unique international competitive edges of Macau and Hengqin within the Greater Bay Area. Both sides also analysed the necessary legal and fiscal supporting systems to elevate Hengqin’s global investment appeal, including double taxation arrangements and the alignment with international accounting standards. The meeting further reviewed how chambers of commerce can fully leverage cross-regional networks to realise interconnected development and mutually beneficial collaboration.
Both chambers expressed full commitment to sustained communication, continuous opportunity sharing, and regular follow-up meetings, laying a solid foundation for deeper multi-field cooperation between Europe, Macau, ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area.
(Front row, left to right) Sam Lei (MAICC Standing Vice Chairman), Kelvin Tan (MAICC Chairman), Echo Chan (MECC President), Niall Murray (MECC Vice President); (Back row, from left to right) Kylie Chim (MAICC Director), Granda Wu (MAICC Secretary to the Chairman), Sunny Tang (MECC Executive Assistant).
