CE attends plenary of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026

MACAU, March 26 - The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today attended the plenary session of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026, where he listened to the keynote speech delivered by member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Mr Zhao Leji.

While in Boao, Hainan Province, Mr Sam met on Wednesday (25 March) with the Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial People’s Congress, Mr Feng Fei. Both sides exchanged views on promoting high-quality Macao-Hainan cooperation and jointly supporting the country’s continued opening-up.

During the meeting with Secretary Feng, Mr Sam expressed his pleasure in attending again the Boao Forum for Asia, and extended his gratitude to Hainan for its hospitality. He highlighted that Macao and Hainan have long maintained strong and constructive interactions, forming a solid foundation for cooperation that continues to deliver tangible results.

The Chief Executive noted the official launch of island-wide special customs operations for the Hainan Free Trade Port at the end of last year, and the steady progress achieved in the second phase of development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Mr Sam emphasised that these developments have created unprecedented opportunities for Macao-Hainan cooperation during the period covered by the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

The two sides should be committed to implementing the spirit of this year’s “Two Sessions” and to pursuing reciprocal cooperation, as well as to contributing jointly to the broader development agenda of the country, he added.

Macao and Hainan both served as important gateways for the country’s opening-up process, said Mr Sam. The Hainan Free Trade Port has achieved notable success in institutional innovation, as well as in enhancing the region’s business environment and internationalisation, while Macao has leveraged fully the advantages of the “One country, two systems” principle to position itself as a key bridgehead for the nation’s high-level opening-up, he stated.

The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government is actively aligning with the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan by formulating and implementing the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR, Mr Sam said. That is with a focus on improving Macao’s role in the nation’s opening-up, establishing a new regional development paradigm with strong internal and external connectivity, and fulfilling the MSAR’s role as a “precise connector” between China and Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries. In this way, Macao aims to support more Chinese mainland enterprises in going global.

Mr Sam expressed the hope that Macao and Hainan would further strengthen coordination, deepen synergy, and jointly explore international markets, contributing the strengths of both regions to the country’s continued high-level opening-up.

Other members of the Macao delegation attending the meeting were: the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the MSAR, Ms Bian Lixin; the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Tai Kin Ip; and the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Chan Kak.

Other representatives from Hainan included: Deputy Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and Governor of Hainan, Mr Liu Xiaoming; member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and Executive Vice-Governor of Hainan Province, Mr Baater; member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, Ms Yin Libo; and the Director of the Development and Reform Commission of the Hainan Provincial Government, Mr Qi Shuli.

Prior to the meeting, Mr Sam attended on Wednesday evening the welcoming banquet of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026.