Macao to help China-Portugal cooperation reach new level, says Macao SAR chief executive

LISBON -- Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Sam Hou-fai, said here Tuesday that during his visit to Portugal, the two sides agreed to use Macao's platform to strengthen China-Portugal economic cooperation.

On Tuesday, Sam met separately with Portuguese President Antonio Jose Seguro, Speaker of Parliament Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, and President of the Supreme Court of Justice Joao Cura Mariano. During the meetings, he briefed the Portuguese side on the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Macao.

Speaking at a media briefing at the end of his visit, Sam said the visit had yielded fruitful results, achieving the goals of enhancing mutual understanding, consolidating the traditional friendship and strengthening all-round cooperation.

He expressed confidence that China-Portugal cooperation would reach a new level, with Macao continuing to leverage its unique advantages to contribute further to the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Portugal.

For his part, Seguro said Portugal and China established diplomatic relations in 1979 and formed a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2005, noting that the two countries have long enjoyed close and friendly ties, with growing political mutual trust, frequent high-level exchanges, and strong cooperation across various fields.

Portugal will continue to adhere to the one-China principle and further advance all-round cooperation between the two countries, he added.

Sam arrived in Lisbon, the first stop of his visit, on Saturday. During the visit, Sam also held discussions with several Portuguese ministers and attended a presentation on the achievements of the successful implementation of "one country, two systems" in Macao.