On the morning of April 23 (Spanish time), Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai met in Madrid with Spain’s Second Vice President and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz Pérez. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening cooperative ties in the economic, tourism, educational, and scientific sectors.
During the meeting, Sam Hou Fai noted that his visit marks a symbolic moment, as he is the first Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region to visit Spain since Macau’s return to China 27 years ago. He also noted that China and Spain have maintained diplomatic relations for over five decades and that, since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2005, official contacts have intensified, consolidating a solid bilateral relationship.
He also recalled recent visits by high-ranking Spanish officials to China, including King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, which have helped define new avenues of cooperation and strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Sam Hou Fai also presented Macau’s development since its return to China, highlighting the successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle, as well as the high degree of autonomy, with independent executive, legislative, and judicial powers. He also emphasized the harmonious coexistence of Chinese and Western cultures in Macau, inviting Yolanda Díaz to visit the city to experience this reality firsthand.
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The Chief Executive noted that Macau and Spain share commonalities in areas such as culture, the legal system, and history, which can serve as a foundation for deepening bilateral cooperation. He also noted that the delegation accompanying the visit includes businesspeople from Macau, Hengqin, and mainland China, with the aim of boosting trade exchanges and promoting partnerships in sectors such as conventions and exhibitions, tourism, and industry.
He added that Spain possesses strong capabilities in the fields of science, technology, and higher education, highlighting the potential for collaboration with academic institutions in Macau to drive innovation, research, and the training of qualified professionals.
In turn, Yolanda Díaz welcomed the delegation led by Sam Hou Fai, emphasizing Macau’s role as an international center for tourism and leisure, which regularly hosts international conferences and events involving Spanish companies. She expressed confidence in strengthening exchanges between the two sides.
The Spanish official also noted that the Chief Executive’s visit represents an opportunity to deepen institutional relations and people-to-people exchanges. She argued that, within the framework of the strategic partnership between China and Spain, Macau can leverage its unique strengths to strengthen cooperation in areas such as the economy, tourism, culture, education, and science and technology.
Yolanda Díaz expressed her gratitude for the invitation to visit Macau and stated her interest in seeing firsthand the results of the city’s development.
The meeting was also attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Yao Jing; the Head of the Chief Executive’s Office, Chan Kak; the Head of the Macao Economic and Trade Office in Lisbon, Lúcia Abrantes dos Santos; as well as officials from the Spanish government, including Virginia Uzal García and Antxon Arizaleta Sánchez.
