Yin Rutao of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) told journalists from Macau’s English- and Portuguese-language media last week he wishes that Macau, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the whole nation, as well as Portugal, will succeed in their COVID-19 prevention and control measures and achieve an economic recovery as soon as possible.
A four-day visit to five cities in the Guangdong segment of the 11-city area by the media delegation ended on Saturday. Yin made the remarks during the trip.
Yin noted that it was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak that the 15 journalists from Macau were able to travel outside of Macau. Macau’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed on January 22.
The well-organised trip included visits to the historically very significant Huangpu Military Academy in Guangzhou, Dinghu Mountain in Zhaoqing, Kaiping’s world-famous watchtowers, and Chenpi village in Xinhui.
The tour, which enjoyed the thoroughly prepared guidance by several officials from the Liaison Office in conjunction with the Office of the Foreign Ministry Commissioner in Macau, enabled the English- and Portuguese-language media representatives to gain a deeper understanding of the culture, history and rapid socio-economic development in the area. The trip also showed that the nine GBA cities in Guangdong have been highly successful in preventing and controlling COVID-19.
The last stop of the trip was the Guangdong-Macau (Jiangmen) Industrial Cooperation Demonstration Zone where the delegation learnt that of the total area of the 25,000 mu (16.67 square kilometres) about 7,000 mu will be used for a joint project with Macau, an entrepreneurial park for young business start-ups from Macau and Portuguese-speaking countries. The park’s construction projects are scheduled to be completed within five years. The main aim of the park is to promote innovation through strategic emerging industries such as energy conservation and environmental protection, new energy vehicles, new materials and high-end equipment, as well as “Internet +” and cultural and creative industries.
The Jiangmen government told the delegation it believed that the completion of the Huangmaohai Bridge in 2024 will make passenger travel and cargo transport between Macau and Jiangmen much more convenient. Jiangmen lies some 63 kilometres north-east of Macau. Jiangmen is the ancestral town of tens of thousands of Macau residents.
The members of the media delegation, which was headed by veteran local Portuguese journalist José Rocha Dinis, said they were looking forward to their next GBA trip in the not-too-distant future.
Regrettably, some senior members of Macau’s English- and Portuguese-language media were unable to join the trip due to work commitments.
Tang Ruiqun (from left to right) from the Department of Information and Public Diplomacy of the Office of the Foreign Ministry Commissioner in Macau; Lúcia Deng Le from the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau; Zhang Shuo from the Department of Information and Public Diplomacy of the Office of the Foreign Ministry Commissioner in Macau chat during last week’s Macau media delegation visit to the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Members of the delegation visit the Guangdong Macau (Jiangmen) Industrial Cooperation Demonstration Zone display room during last week’s trip.
Tangerine peels are being sundried in Xinhui’s Chenpi village last week.
Kaiping’s famous watchtowers
Tourists visit the Seven Star Cave in Zhaoqing last week.
Primary school pupils visit a temple in Shawan Ancient Town in Guangzhou’s Panytu district last week.
Pedestrians flock to an open-air public awareness campaign event in Jiangmen to promote joint efforts for the setting-up of a civilised city so that all citizens can enjoy quality of life together.
Photos taken by Maria Cheang Ut Meng during last week’s four-day visit by a Macau Portuguese- and English-language media delegation to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Jiangmen, Kaiping and Xinhui in the Guangdong-section of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) at the invitation of the Central People’s Government Liaison Office in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR)
