Macau and the municipality of Beijing should increase cooperation, the Macau Chief executive said Thursday in the Chinese capital, whilst noting the advantages of the territory and its “close relationships,” with the Portuguese-speaking world and the European Union (EU).

At the opening of the 1st Symposium for Beijing-Macau Economic Exchange, Fernando Chui Sai On said that cooperation between the two cities would further develop Macau as a “world centre for tourism and leisure,” and as a “platform for services” between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.

The meeting, which will be held once a year, alternately in Beijing and Macau, is intended to “raise the level of two-way cooperation,” making it “more consolidated and far-reaching,” said the Chief Executive.

The opening of the symposium, co-presided by Chui Sai On and by the acting Mayor of Beijing, Wang Anshun, included signing several cooperation agreements, in the areas of tourism, investment protection, creative industries, and others.

The schedule also includes an exhibition of products from Macau, involving around 100 companies, including nine from Portugal.

Figures cited by the Macau press showed that on the first day of the symposium companies from both cities signed contracts worth 2.57 billion yuan (US$405 million), with 13 contracts focusing on the creative and cultural sector. (macauhub)