MACAUCHIEF EXECUTIVE EDMUND HO HAU-WAHPAYS WORKING VISIT TO WEST PART OF GUANGDONG

   Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-Wah's working visit to the west part of Guangdong Province in April further strengthened bilateral relations and enhanced Macau's position as an international platform for a wide range of business services.

   During his three-day visit, which included top-level meetings in Guangzhou, Mr Ho met dozens of government officials and business community leaders in three main cities west of the Pearl River Delta, Zhangjiang, Maoming and Yangjiang.

   The programme included a courtesy call on Guangdong's new governor, Huang Huahua, in Guangzhou and a visit to several top-brand factories. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Ho said the two delegations exchanged views on a number of "concrete issues" in the area of bilateral co-operation, such as preparations for the setting-up of a trans-border industrial zone between the Macau Special Administrative Region and the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone, as well as ways to further enhance Macau's status as a platform for commercial and economic relations between the west part of Guangdong and other parts in the world.

   "There are many synergies between Macau and Guangdong," Mr. Ho pointed out, adding that Macau would also further consolidate its role as a bridge between the whole of China and the Portuguese-speaking world, which combined has more than 210 million inhabitants on four continents. Macau will host a ministerial-level economic affairs meeting between China and the Portuguese-speaking world in September.

   The Chief Executive urged Macau's business community to intensify their trade and investment relations between Macau and Guangdong, namely its west part. Municipal government and business community leaders in Zhangjiang, Maoming and Yangjiang expressed great interest in Macau's growing role as an international platform for business services, including offshore activities.