Wang Lingxi, People’s Daily Overseas Edition
China’s Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) is actively integrating into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as the global development strategy has achieved important progress under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits since it was proposed 6 years ago.
Based on the invaluable legacy left by over 400 years of cultural integration between China and the west, as well as its unique geological advantages, Macao is seizing the opportunities brought by the BRI, and suit the initiative to its role of a world-class tourism and leisure centre, a commerce and trade cooperation service platform between China and lusophone countries, and a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist.
Making full use of its unique location and distinctive industries, Macao serves as an intermediary. While propelling multiple lusophone countries towards being participants of, contributors to and beneficiaries of the BRI, Macao has opened up broad development prospects for its own development.
Over half of the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Macao hope to participate in the BRI construction via cooperation, according to a report issued by the Strategy Research Committee of the Macao Chamber of Commerce this year.
These enterprises also expect the Macao SAR government to launch more guiding policies to create more opportunities for them to expand overseas presence.
Last year, the Macao SAR government inked an arrangement with China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on supporting Macao’s full participation in the Belt and Road construction. This agreement has injected new vitality for Macao to take part in the global development strategy.
In April this year, the Bank of China Macau Branch issued 4.5 billion yuan in bonds for Belt and Road projects aiming to facilitate special financial products and services of Macao and serve the lusophone countries.
“These countries, located in four continents, have a population of 260 million and cover an area larger than that of Europe,” said Li Guoqiang, former deputy director of the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
He believes Macao plays an irreplaceable role in helping Chinese enterprises expand markets Latin America and Africa and in yuan clearing between China and these countries, as the SAR enjoys close connection with them and serves a bond for economic and trade exchanges.
Kwan Fung, professor of the University of Macau, said tourism is an important pillar of Macao’s economy, and also a sector where the SAR sees the closest connection with the BRI.
The collision and integration between the cultures of southern Europe and southern China have generated unique historical and social features in Macao, which is one of the major reasons for the Historic Centre of Macao to have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Kwan introduced.
By actively participating in the BRI construction, Macao will not only expand its tourism revenue and diversify the source of tourists, but also enhance mutual understanding among Belt and Road countries as a window for people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Besides, Macao is home to returned overseas Chinese from more than 60 countries and regions who have broad social relationships and are engaged in diverse industries. Lao Ngai Leong, chairman of the Association of Returned Overseas Chinese Macau, believes such group has offered Macao and its Chinese community with unique advantages in people-to-people exchanges.
The large numbers of Chinese nationals who have returned from overseas to Macao have a great influence, and they can play an active role in facilitating the government’s economic, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, Lao noted.
By actively participating in the BRI, the young people in Macao are also embracing greater prospects. In the past, the relatively simple economic structure of Macao limited their development space. However, they now have broader platforms to fulfill their potential as the SAR’s high-end service sectors including accounting, legal services, management, information and translation are booming thanks to the initial progress made by the BRI construction.
Jorge Valente, president of the Macanese Youth Association (AJM), believes that Macao’s advantages, including a multi-language environment, inclusiveness and exchanges of Chinese and Portuguese cultures, similar judicial system with Portuguese-speaking countries, will enable the SAR’s young generation to achieve great success in the construction of the BRI.
澳门抢抓“一带一路”建设机遇
人民日报海外版记者 汪灵犀
“一带一路”倡议自2013年秋天提出以来，在“共商、共建、共享”原则引导下，已取得重要阶段性成果。而澳门凭借400多年中西文化交融留下的宝贵遗产和独特优势，正积极融入“一带一路”建设中，抢抓“一带一路”机遇，把“一带一路”与其“一中心、一平台、一基地”定位紧密结合起来，发挥区位和专业优势，担当联系人角色，推动多个葡语国家成为“一带一路”建设的参与者、贡献者和受益者的同时，也为自身发展开拓了广阔空间。
澳门中华总商会策略研究委员会今年公布的“澳门中小企业信心指数”调查报告显示，有一半以上的澳门中小企业希望采取合作模式参与“一带一路”建设，盼望澳门特区政府多推出引导性政策，让中小企业有更多机会“走出去”。
去年底，国家发改委与澳门特区政府签署了《关于支持澳门全面参与和助力“一带一路”建设的安排》，为澳门参与“一带一路”建设注入了新动力。今年4月，中国银行澳门分行发行了45亿元“一带一路”主题债券，推动澳门特色金融发展，重点服务葡语系国家。“7个葡语系国家遍布4大洲，拥有2.6亿人口，面积超过欧洲的总和。利用好与葡语系国家联系的优势，搭建经贸交流桥梁，积极协助中国企业开拓拉美、非洲等地葡语系国家市场，担负起中国与葡语系国家人民币清算的角色，澳门具有不可替代的作用。”原中国社会科学院中国边疆研究所副主任李国强说。
“旅游业是澳门经济的重要支柱，也是‘一带一路’中和澳门关系最密切的一个环节。南欧文化和岭南文化的碰撞和交融所衍生的历史和社会状貌世间少有，这也是‘澳门历史城区’被列为世界遗产的重要原因之一。”澳门大学教授关锋说，积极参与“一带一路”建设不仅可以扩大澳门的旅游经济规模，促进客源多元化，更能增加“一带一路”沿线各国人民的相互了解，使澳门得以发挥人文交流的“窗口效应”。
同时，澳门拥有来自60多个国家和地区的归侨侨眷，他们拥有广泛的社会关系，从事行业多元，澳门归侨总会会长刘艺良认为，澳门和澳门侨界在“民心相通”中具备独特优势。“澳门归侨侨眷人数多、影响广、团体稳定，可以在助力政府与东南亚沿线国家交流合作、推动和拓展与东南亚沿线国家经贸交流合作、推动与东南亚沿线国家人文交流等方面发挥积极的作用。”刘艺良说。
积极参与“一带一路”，澳门青年人也迎来更广阔的人生舞台。过去，澳门经济结构相对单一，限制了青年的发展空间。而随着“一带一路”建设成效逐渐显现，澳门会计、法律、管理、信息、翻译等高端服务行业也迎来蓬勃发展，年轻人有了更多施展才华的舞台。
澳门土生葡人青年协会理事长华子锋认为，澳门具备很多优势，例如，使用中葡双语已延展至多国语言并用、中葡文化共融交流，在司法体系上与葡语国家相近等。这些优势的存在，将让澳门青年在参与“一带一路”建设中大有作为。
图为西望洋圣堂，是昔日天主教澳门教区的主教府邸。
图为路环渔村，是澳门历史悠久的港口，现还保留很多代表性的建筑。
图为龙爪角，是欣赏澳门的海岸线和日出日落的天然美景的绝佳位置。
