Sam Hou Fai argued that Macau must align its future development plan with China’s national strategy, following the guidelines transmitted at the “Two Sessions.”
Macau’s chief executive Sam Hou Fai said today that the government will align the elaboration of the SAR’s third Five-Year Plan with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. The statement was made during a session to convey the spirit of the “Two Sessions,” organised by the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau.
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In his address, Sam Hou Fai stressed that the elaboration and implementation of Macau’s third Five-Year Plan will be the government’s main priority this year, and that the document should follow national plan guidelines and directives transmitted by the central government during the annual meetings of China’s National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
He argued that the region should use Beijing’s guidance to promote economic diversification, strengthen governance and deepen integration with national development. The new national Five-Year Plan creates important opportunities for Macau to consolidate its advantages and reinforce its integration into the country’s development, he said.
Sam Hou Fai expressed agreement with the work report presented by Chinese premier Li Qiang, highlighting progress made over the past year and throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan, and also highlighted president Xi Jinping’s guidance on areas such as the development of new productive forces, public health promotion and the integration of education, science, technology and talent cultivation.
Among the priorities outlined for Macau is the scientific elaboration and effective implementation of the third Five-Year Plan, whose public consultation is expected to begin in mid-April. The plan will focus on areas including appropriate economic diversification, improved public governance, national security, population welfare and deepened cooperation between Macau and the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
Macau’s chief executive, Sam Hou Fai
The chief executive also highlighted the need to improve public administration efficiency, strengthen coordination between government departments and accelerate the development of e-governance. On the economic front, the government intends to continue promoting sectors such as integrated tourism and leisure, traditional Chinese medicine in healthcare, modern finance, high technology and the exhibitions and trade industry.
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Sam Hou Fai also called for deeper Macau-Hengqin integration, including greater industrial cooperation, infrastructure connectivity and facilitation of resident and talent mobility between the two regions. On the social front, he said the government will continue to strengthen welfare measures, with increased social support and investment in education, health, housing and elderly care, and stressed the importance of youth participation in the region’s development.
Externally, Macau will reinforce its role as a platform for cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and intensify participation in the Belt and Road Initiative. The region is also preparing to host this year’s 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting and, in 2027, the next ministerial conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.
