Renewing friendship across mountains and seas and nurturing fruits of cooperation

Sam Hou Fai, Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, recently concluded a successful visit to Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Belgium. During the visit, over 46 events were held, and more than 100 cooperation agreements were signed—a packed schedule with fruitful results. This visit marked not only Sam Hou Fai's first overseas visit since taking office, but also a concrete step in implementing the important instructions of President Xi Jinping on building Macao into a platform for higher-standard opening up. It fully demonstrated the success of the policy of One Country, Two Systems in Macao and highlighted Macao's unique strengths of having both the motherland's backing and extensive international engagements.

This was a journey to promote the policy of One Country, Two Systems. As President Xi Jinping noted, the values embodied in the cause of One Country, Two Systems, namely, peace, inclusiveness, openness and sharing, are relevant to not only China but also the whole world. These values should be cherished by us all. At each stop along his journey, Mr. Sam presented the "shining card" of One Country, Two Systems and shared with host-country political leaders the vivid stories of how Macao put this policy into practice. The Macao SAR Government also held a specially-designed exhibition in Lisbon titled "Macao's Successful Practice of ‘One Country, Two Systems': Carrying Forward the Traditional China-Portugal Friendship and Writing a New Chapter of 'One Country, Two Systems'". About 400 guests attended the opening ceremony. The exhibition showcases, through rich textual and visual information including videos, the strong vitality and institutional strengths of the cause of One Country, Two Systems. This policy was widely recognized and positively received by the political leaders of the host countries. President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal José Pedro Aguiar-Branco stated that the successful implementation of One Country, Two Systems in Macao is not only an institutional innovation for China but also an international model of the harmonious coexistence between different systems. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval fully acknowledged the social stability and prosperity Macao has achieved through its successful implementation of this policy.

This was a journey to enhance communication and mutual trust. Like his predecessors, Mr. Sam Hou Fai chose Portugal as the first stop of his overseas visit, a testament to Macao's great commitment to carrying forward the traditional China-Portugal friendship. The Chief Executive met separately with the President of Portugal, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion and the Minister of Justice, a high-level reception unseen before. Portuguese President Antonio José Seguro emphasized that Portugal and China have long enjoyed close and friendly ties and that Portugal values the continued deepening of exchanges and cooperation with Macao. Mr. Sam also met with senior EU officials, and the two sides agreed to consolidate and develop their long-term trade partnership. Vice President of the European Parliament Younous Omarjee expressed his hope that China-EU relations could be further developed through the Macao platform.

This was a journey to foster mutual learning among civilizations. Leveraging Macao's unique strength as a meeting place of Chinese and Western cultures, the Macao SAR Government hosted themed exhibitions respectively titled "Reflections of the Sea of Mirrors: 500 Years of Exchange between Chinese and Western Civilizations in Macao" and "The Window on Chinese Culture" in Lisbon. These exhibitions showcased the great depth of Chinese culture and the long-standing cultural exchanges between China and Portugal. In Madrid, the Macao SAR Government held the "Experience Macao Roadshow" and a "Macao Night" event, highlighting the rich and diverse offerings of Macao as a World Center of Tourism and Leisure and demonstrating its unique charm from the deep integration of diverse cultures. Shaikha Al Nowais, the Secretary General of the U.N. World Tourism Organization, stated that Macao possesses a profound historical and cultural heritage as well as abundant tourism education resources, and that the two sides can jointly elevate global standards in tourism education.

This was a journey to deepen practical cooperation. The Macao SAR Government pioneered a collaborative development model to explore foreign markets, organizing a delegation of around 120 entrepreneurs from Macao, Hengqin, and various other mainland provinces and cities. During the visit, the delegation actively promoted the Service Center for Economy and Trade between China and Portuguese/Spanish-speaking Countries (CECP), as well as the opportunities presented by cooperation between Macao and Hengqin. These efforts contributed to the signing of 61 cooperation agreements in Lisbon and 48 in Madrid, covering a wide range of areas from Macao's role as a cooperation platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, to its diversified industries, and to Hengqin's "Four New" industries. In Brussels, Mr. Sam Hou Fai discussed with Belgian leaders ways to expand collaboration in emerging sectors such as biomedical research and development, smart logistics, and green development. He also explored with senior EU officials the possibility of broadening cooperative ties in fields including innovation and technology, green technologies, higher education, and the culture and tourism industry. These discussions delivered positive outcomes.

This was a journey to expand international platforms. This visit marked the first time a Chief Executive of the Macao SAR visited Spain and the World Trade Organization. In Madrid, Mr. Sam Hou Fai discussed with Spanish leaders the further expansion of Macao's role as a cooperation platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries to include Spanish-speaking countries. Spain's Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno welcomed Macao's active participation in Spain's exchanges and cooperation with Portugal and Brazil, and expressed interest in exploring more areas for cooperation. In Geneva, Mr. Sam met with WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to explore mechanisms for strengthening ties between the two sides, injecting new impetus into greater participation by the Macao SAR Government in multilateral trade and other international affairs. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala expressed her hope that more Portuguese-speaking countries would join the WTO with the help of the Macao SAR.

Successive governments of the Macao SAR have made unrelenting efforts to turn a development blueprint into reality. With the strong support of the Central Government, chief executives of the Macao SAR have actively reached out to the world, traveling to more than ten countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. This has opened up and broadened channels for Macao's cooperation with the rest of the world. Mr. Sam Hou Fai's visit to Europe was not only a continuation of his predecessors' achievements in external engagement, but also an innovation on this new journey in the new era, making new breakthroughs and progress in institutional outcomes, cooperation breadth, and government-enterprise synergy. Since Macao's return to the motherland, thanks to the institutional strengths of the policy of One Country, Two Systems and the strong support of the motherland, Macao has seen its path on the international stage grow ever broader, made more friends globally, elevated its international influence and visibility, and truly grown into an international metropolis.

Standing at a new historical starting point, Macao has broad prospects and a promising future for international exchanges and cooperation. Macao will stay committed to the fundamental policy of One Country and fully benefit from Two Systems. It will further expand external exchanges and cooperation, amplify its role as "One Center, One Platform, One Base," and continue to act as an important bridge for China's high-standard opening up and an important window of exchanges between Chinese and Western civilizations. Macao will write even more splendid chapters of its own story and contribute even greater strengths to China's high-standard opening up in the new era.

The author is a commentator on international affairs.