March 3, 2023
HONG KONG – Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu Thursday met Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng to discuss the promotion of Hong Kong’s cooperation with Macao and high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Leading a Hong Kong delegation to Macao, Lee first toured the latest tourism, convention and exhibition facilities to learn about Macao’s new developments in promoting tourism and culture, according to a government press release.
During his meeting with Ho, Lee said now is the perfect time to deepen tourism cooperation and promote multi-destination tourism in the Bay Area with normal travel between the two cities fully resumed.
The two places can jointly contribute to achieving the goal of developing a world-class bay area for leisure, as set out in the country’s Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the GBA, he said.
Chief Executive John Lee (front row, sixth left) meets Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng (front row, sixth right) at the Macao SAR Government Headquarters as he leads a Hong Kong delegation to visit the special administrative region on March 2, 2023. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Cheuk Wing-hing (front row, fifth left); Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung (front row, fourth left); Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Lam Sai-hung (front row, third left); and Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Carol Yip (front row, second left), also attended the meeting. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
Since the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), the land transportation between Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River’s west bank has been opened, and the distance between the three places has been shortened, said the HKSAR leader.
Hong Kong has always strongly supported the HZMB cross-boundary transportation arrangements and measures to meet the needs of local residents, travelers and trades, and maximize the bridge’s economic and transport benefits, as a way of fostering commercial and cultural exchanges between the three places, said Lee.
Chief Executive John Lee (sixth left); Secretary for Security of the Macao Special Administration Region (SAR), Wong Sio-chak (fifth left); Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office of the Macao SAR, Hoi Lai-fong (third left); Deputy Chairman of the Galaxy Entertainment Group, Francis Lui (sixth right); and other members of Hong Kong delegation are seen at the Galaxy International Convention Center in Macao on March 2, 2023. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
“Being special administrative regions of the country, both Hong Kong and Macao will leverage on their unique advantages under ‘one country, two systems’ and further strengthen the co-operation between the two places, with a view to generating stronger impetus for the high-quality development of the GBA and making greater contributions to national development.”
Lee and the Hong Kong delegation members attended a luncheon hosted by the Macao CE and returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.