CHIEF EXECUTIVE EDMUND HO HAU WAH'S VISIT TO MOZAMBIQUE STRENGTHENS BILATERAL TIES WITH PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING WORLD

   Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah's highly successful visit to Mozambique on October 23-27 further strengthened Macau's traditionally strong commercial and cultural ties with the Portuguese-speaking world.

   Speaking after the visit, Mr. Ho said the two Governments had reached a consensus on a wide range of matters that contributed to the intensification of relations between both sides.

   During the visit, the Chief Executive held meetings with top Government officials and business leaders, namely President Joaquim Chissano. Mr. Ho also witnessed the signing ceremonies of two agreements between entities from Macau and Mozambique, such as a joint venture contract involving the International Herbal Group, which is headed by prominent Macau entrepreneur Victor Fung.

   Secretary for Economy and Finance, Francis Tam Pak Yuen, who was part of the Chief Executive's official entourage, described the visit as a "great success" that opened up new ways of co-operation between the two sides. Mr. Tam pointed out that both Macau and Mozambique enjoyed "privileged geographic conditions, the former as a platform for services in the west bank of the Pearl River Delta and the latter as a gateway to the African market.

   The Macau Government has made close ties with the world's eight Portuguese-speaking countries (Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Mozambique, and East Timor) one of the mainstays of its external relations, apart from the European Union and Asia.

   The Macau Government started in August to collect business and labour representatives' views on plans to set up a trans-border industrial export processing zone between Macau and the adjacent Zhuhai Special Economic Zone.

   The projected Macau-Zhuhai industrial zone is expected to greatly benefit the two cities' economic development, considering that it would combine Macau's advantages as a capitalist system and free port and Zhuhai's abundance of land and labour resources.

    The main objective is to ensure that Macau's manufacturers will be able to produce high-quality goods at competitive rates and that Macau's labour force will be able to reasonably well-paid jobs.

   The Government's target was to attract 60,000 workers from Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Macau businesses in southern China.

   Around three quarters of Macau's total export value is traditionally taken up by textiles and garments. The manufacturing sector continues to be Macau's main employer, ahead of commerce and tourism and gaming businesses.