The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, today said the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF) would play a positive role in boosting confidence and building consensus in that sector globally, and would assist in joint work to overcome challenges and to promote high-quality and sustainable development of international infrastructure.

Mr Ho delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the 11th IIICF, an event series launched in 2010, and which has been held annually in Macao since 2012.

The theme of the two-day 11th IIICF is “Responding to Challenges and Promoting Global Infrastructure Development”. This year’s IIICF focuses on hot topics such as changes and trends in the development of the international market for infrastructure in the post-pandemic era, and how the global industry can come together as one, to overcome current difficulties and strive for sustainable global infrastructure development.

In his remarks, Mr Ho said Macao's export-orientated service economy had been confronted with unprecedented challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also talked about the great support provided to Macao by the Central Government. With, in addition, the concerted effort of the Macao SAR Government and the local community, Macao had achieved several stages of positive results in terms of epidemic prevention and control. Social order and economic activities in Macao had been getting back on track gradually.

This year’s IIICF offered strong stimulation to the revitalisation of Macao’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry and peripheral sectors, Mr Ho added.

In his speech, the Chief Executive pointed out that the IIICF has been a significant platform for Macao to participate in the development of the "Belt and Road" initiative and integration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area).

The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government attached great importance to regional infrastructure connectivity, Mr Ho said. Locally, a number of public projects that were launched this year would act as bedrock to sustain Macao's economic development both at present and in the upcoming period.

In terms of regional infrastructure, the completion and launch of boundary crossing infrastructure projects, such as the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system linking to Hengqin Port, would foster infrastructure connectivity between Guangdong and Macao, facilitating the highly-efficient flow of people and goods.

The Macao SAR Government has always considered the construction of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin as a bridgehead and as a top priority for deepening connectivity and cooperation within the Greater Bay Area, Mr Ho added.

Mr Ho went on to say that Macao – as a significant hub of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and a core city of the Greater Bay Area – enjoyed the institutional advantages presented by the "One country, two systems" principle, and also acted as a platform integrating and connecting global and domestic markets and their respective resources.

The city additionally boasted seamless integration with international market rules and standards and had the benefit of its role as a meeting point of the international part and domestic part of the country’s “dual circulation” economic policy, Mr Ho added.

The Chief Executive said Macao would actively contribute to the country's "dual circulation" economic policy and to promote further the city’s effort toward adequate economic diversification and sustainable economic development. Meanwhile, Macao would play a more productive role in the country’s new round of opening-up and high-quality economic development, while constantly enriching the successful practice of "One country, two systems" with Macao characteristics.