CE: China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Macao’s Third Five-Year Plan present new opportunities for Macao-Singapore cooperation

MACAU, August 31 - The advancement and implementation of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) (2026–2030) will undoubtedly open up new opportunities and expand horizons for Macao-Singapore cooperation, said today the Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai.

Mr Sam delivered a speech at a reception in Singapore hosted by the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government. The Chief Executive arrived in Singapore on Saturday (29 August) for an eight-day official visit covering three Southeast Asian countries: Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Other officiating guests at today’s reception were: Singapore's Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ms Gan Siow Huang; the Chinese Ambassador to Singapore, Mr Cao Zhongming; the Consul-General of Singapore in Hong Kong, Mr Eric Teo Boon Hee; and the MSAR’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Ng Wai Han;. Around 350 guests attended the reception, including members of the MSAR Government delegation, accompanying business representatives, representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, and distinguished guests from various sectors in Singapore.

In his speech, Mr Sam noted that in June last year, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore, Singapore’s Prime Minister, Mr Lawrence Wong, visited China. On that occasion, President Xi Jinping and the Prime Minister jointly charted the course for a new phase in the stable and healthy development of China-Singapore relations.

The ongoing visit by the MSAR delegation to Singapore was not only a concrete measure to implement the important consensus reached by the leaderships of China and Singapore, but also a major initiative for Macao to leverage its unique strengths, deepen and expand exchanges and cooperation with Singapore, and inject fresh momentum into China-Singapore relations, said Mr Sam.

The year 2026 marks the 27th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, said Mr Sam. Over the past 27 years, the MSAR has successfully implemented the “One country, two systems” principle, with “Macao people administering Macao” with a high degree of autonomy, maintaining long-term prosperity and stability while achieving world-renowned accomplishments. These demonstrate the strong vitality and bright future of the “One country, two systems” framework, he added.

In recent years, the vitality and resilience of Macao’s economic development have continuously strengthened, steering the city toward a new stage of high-quality development, Mr Sam noted.

In the first half of this year, the preliminary figure for Macao’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached nearly 210 billion patacas, representing a year-on-year real growth of 3.7 percent. Visitor arrivals neared 21 million, an increase of 9 percent year-on-year, while the international visitor tally reached 1.42 million, up 6 percent year-on-year. Singapore contributed approximately 53,000 visitors, occupying a vital position within Macao’s market for Southeast Asian tourists. The numbers fully demonstrated the close people-to-people exchanges and tight economic and cultural ties between Macao and Singapore, which serve as an essential foundation for both sides to deepen cooperation, noted Mr Sam.

The year 2026 marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. To strengthen alignment and coordination with it, the MSAR Government officially announced this month Macao’s Third Five-Year Plan.

The key deployments outlined in Macao’s Third Five-Year Plan include four major projects, alongside the establishment of a government guidance fund, as key mechanisms to advance appropriate economic diversification, said Mr Sam.

Macao remains committed to deepening its integrated development with Hengqin, including by promoting the high-quality construction of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. The MSAR Government will also accelerate urban renewal initiatives to advance the policy goal of promoting a beautiful and ‘smart’ Macao. Macao will additionally participate in the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, establishing Macao as an important bridgehead for the country’s high-level opening-up and as an important window for mutual learning and exchange between Chinese and Western civilisations.

Meanwhile, Macao will spare no effort in forging a convenient and efficient public services system, and in building a world-class, market-orientated, law-based, and internationalised business environment. The MSAR Government strictly protects the legitimate rights and interests of all market entities and investors, thereby providing foreign investors with an attractive and reliable investment environment.

The Chief Executive said Macao remains committed to promoting exchanges and cooperation at all levels – both official and non-governmental – between Macao and Singapore. Macao encourages Singapore residents from all walks of life to visit the Chinese mainland, Macao, and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, in order actively to expand and deepen exchanges across various fields, including in economics, trade, tourism, culture, tertiary education, and technological innovation. Doing so means working together to create a brighter future.

In her address, Minister of State Ms Gan said that Macao and Singapore have long maintained a friendly and close relationship, achieving fruitful outcomes in cooperation across the fields of trade and investment, tourism, education, and people-to-people exchanges. Looking ahead, both sides could leverage their complementary strengths in order further to deepen collaboration in tourism and urban development, and work together to seize new opportunities arising from regional development and economic growth, she stated.

Ms Gan added that both Singapore and Macao have established internationally-renowned tourism industries and destination brands. Each side can learn from the other’s knowledge in terms of enhancing visitor experiences, developing integrated tourism offerings, and building vibrant, liveable cities.

Singapore looks forward to sharing with Macao practical insights on tourism industry development and fostering productive partnerships between industry players in the two places, said Ms Gan.

Additionally, while enterprises in both places remain committed to their local markets, they are increasingly looking outward to broader international opportunities, said Ms Gan. Singapore and Macao can serve as trusted partners, connecting the Greater Bay Area with Southeast Asian markets, and supporting businesses from both sides in exploring new prospects and building robust cross-regional networks. By pooling enterprise capabilities, the two sides can also open up new avenues for growth in areas such as digitalisation, innovation, sustainable development, and care services for the elderly.

At the reception, the Chief Executive and other officiating guests jointly witnessed the signing of eight cooperation agreements covering business collaboration in trade, tourism promotion, the Big Health industry, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), industry-academia research, modern finance, high-end technology, and ‘smart city’ development.

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