The president of the Chinese League in Portugal, Y Ping Chow, told Lusa today that the visit of the head of government of Macau to Portugal “is much awaited by the Chinese community”, whether Macanese or not.
“It is the first visit after covid. It is a much-awaited visit by the Chinese community, from Macau or not from Macau”, said to Lusa, in Porto, the also president of the Chamber of Commerce of Small and Medium Enterprises Portugal – China (CCPC – PME).
Y Ping Chow said he had the support of Ho Iat Seng, who is visiting Portugal between April 18 and 22, to “better understand the development of Hengqin Island [Mountain Island] and the Greater Bay” (Guangzhou – Hong Kong – Macau ).
The businessman acknowledged that the covid-19 pandemic and the measures adopted in the territory have “greatly delayed commercial, tourism, even business relations”, saying he was “certain” that the visit will contribute to restoring them.
Y Ping Chow also said that CCPC-PME is interested in developing projects on Hengqin Island, a special zone for attracting companies and investment announced in 2021.
As for Macanese investment in Portugal, Y Ping Chow said that “at the moment, there is a lot of possibility and capacity to invest in Portugal”, although there is “a little” a separation between the Macanese and non-Macanese Chinese communities.
As for the current situation in the Special Administrative Region, and speaking about the 30 years of the Basic Law, Y Ping Chow said that regarding the principle of “one country, two systems”, “all Chinese people accept it”, as does the Portuguese Government.
Despite this, he acknowledged that the transition is “something very difficult” for the Chinese who “lived in Macau and Hong Kong, who had a different life, a different management, a different habit, and suddenly they started to have a habit like in China”.
“But they get used to, for better or for worse, the habit of how it works in China”, he told Lusa, adding that “security in Macau has improved a lot because of tighter control”.
Asked about reports from the UN, the United States and the European Union on freedoms and human rights in Macau, Y Ping Chow said that the “right to freedom, right of thought, and of actions, is very beautiful”. But, “what I can say is that if a person is subject to insecurity, hunger and ‘et cetera’, all of that becomes secondary.”
Y Ping Chow also said that “the interference of the Portuguese government in Macau and the interference of the British government in Hong Kong are different”, with Hong Kong under “more influence from the Americans” than Macau from the Europeans.
As for the remaining years until 2049, the end of the transition period between the Portuguese and Chinese administrations, Y Ping Chow said that the date is “a basis to create closer ties, to create better integration”.
“It could be 40, it could even be 60 years. 50 years is a date to make this junction as good as possible”, he said.
Y Ping Chow also considers that the Macanese Government “has an interest in [Portuguese] culture and habits, even here in Portugal, being maintained, and even in developing more” in the territory.
“But this development depends a lot on civil society”, such as “the participation of Portuguese companies”, something that he acknowledged that “is difficult”.
“Portuguese entrepreneurs are tiny. The big ones are already there. It is very difficult for the little ones, individually, to enter ”, he assumed.
Y Ping Chow also said that Portugal “should do more in the interest of participating in development with Macau”, something that “is happening”, but in which “much more can be done”.
The Macau chief executive is visiting Portugal between April 18 and 22, with meetings planned with the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Prime Minister, António Costa, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho.
Accompanying Ho Iat Seng is a delegation of 50 local businessmen, with several visits to Portuguese partners, focusing on the food and pharmaceutical sectors.
With the support of the Macau Institute for the Promotion of Trade and Investment, the delegation has scheduled visits to Lisbon and Porto, with meetings with the Luso-Chinese Traders and Industrialists Association and the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce Small and Medium Enterprises.
Working visits to Hospital da Luz, Quinta da Marmeleira (Alenquer), Amorim, Sovena and Delta groups, among others, are also scheduled. In parallel, between April 15th and 22nd, a daily videomapping show will be held at Terreiro do Paço evocative of Macau, in an initiative of the Macao Tourism Board (DST).
*With Lusa
