Before the official welcome dinner of the 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai met on Friday (June 26) with China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sun Yeli, to discuss the organization of the ministerial meeting and the development of Macau’s tourism and cultural sectors.
During the meeting, Sam Hou Fai welcomed the delegation led by Sun Yeli and thanked them for their support in holding the APEC ministerial meeting in Macau.
The Chief Executive emphasized that the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government has given high priority to preparations for the event, maintaining close coordination with central authorities over the past year. According to him, preparatory work has proceeded as planned, and he expressed confidence in the success of the meeting.
Sam Hou Fai also stressed that the current government aims to strengthen Macau’s advantages as a platform connecting China and the outside world, consolidating the region’s positioning as “one center, one platform, and one base.”
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In this context, he reiterated the goal of deepening Macau’s role as a World Center of Tourism and Leisure and promoting the city as a privileged space for cultural exchange between Chinese and Western civilizations, while contributing to the appropriate diversification of the local economy.
The Chief Executive also noted that the Macau International Integrated Tourism and Culture Zone project is steadily progressing in phases, describing it as a strategic element for the city’s sustainable and high-quality development. He also expressed hope for continued support and guidance from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in advancing this initiative and other areas of cooperation.
For his part, Sun Yeli reaffirmed the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s support for the organization of the 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Macau and praised the progress made in preparing the event, expressing confidence in the MSAR Government’s ability to ensure its success.
The minister also noted that Macau’s development continues to receive close attention from the Ministry and confirmed ongoing support for the promotion of the city’s cultural and tourism sectors, including the development of the Macau International Integrated Tourism and Culture Zone.
He added that this cooperation will help enhance the quality of Macau’s development, expand its international tourism cooperation, and promote deeper integration into national development strategies.
Also present at the meeting were Secretary for Economy and Finance Dora Ng, Chief of the Chief Executive’s Office Chan Kak, Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance Lo Chi Fai, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Gao Zheng, and APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting Chair Chen Xu.
