Consul General Le Duc Hanh (left) and Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region Ha Nhat Thanh at the reception. Photo: VNA

At the headquarters of the Macau government, Chief Executive Xia Yicheng received and discussed with Consul General Le Duc Hanh about the relationship between Macau and Vietnam. Chief Executive Xia Yicheng said that the relationship between Macau and Vietnam has shown positive signs, with positive figures in trade, investment, tourism, labor and student exchange. He believes that the two sides can promote stronger cooperation in the coming time. Mr. Xia Yicheng emphasized that the daily direct flight from Macau to Vietnam will continue to contribute significantly to promoting exchanges between the two sides in the coming time. Consul General Le Duc Hanh expressed his desire to closely coordinate with the Macau government to promote bilateral cooperation and affirmed his determination to renew the relationship between the two sides. Ms. Le Duc Hanh emphasized that Vietnam and Macau are recovering positively after the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the right time to strengthen the relationship between the two sides in many potential areas such as trade, investment, tourism, labor and people-to-people exchange. Regarding visa barriers, Consul General Le Duc Hanh said that although bilateral relations have begun to recover, they are still lower than pre-COVID-19 levels and have not yet reached their potential. She emphasized that Macau is known to many Vietnamese people as a popular tourist destination. After the pandemic, the demand for tourism and job hunting among Vietnamese people has increased again. However, she also noted that Vietnam is currently among the six countries that have not been granted a visa on arrival to Macau, and that the need to apply for an entry visa with complicated procedures and a long time has significantly limited the number of tourists from Vietnam to Macau. She suggested the possibility of promoting package tours, as well as pilot projects, allowing Vietnamese tourists, especially those who already have a visa to Hong Kong, to be granted a visa on arrival to Macau.

Consul General Le Duc Hanh (third from left) takes a photo with delegates. Photo: VNA

Chief Executive of the Special Zone Ha Nhat Thanh welcomed and affirmed that he would actively consider the above proposal, saying that this is a good solution to promote tourism and Vietnamese labor to Macau. He emphasized that Macau welcomes Vietnamese workers and tourists, under legal conditions and respect for local laws, affirming that the Special Zone government will study the possibility of granting border visas to Vietnamese citizens in the coming time. Consul General Le Duc Hanh proposed that the Macau government expand the reception of Vietnamese workers and simplify the reception procedures, especially for workers who have worked in Macau, ended their labor contracts and are in need of finding new jobs. She affirmed that the Consulate General is ready to coordinate with the Special Zone government to properly resolve arising issues related to labor, including coordinating the introduction of reputable agents licensed by both sides, selecting quality input workers, providing training courses on language, culture, law and support services for workers. This workforce will become a reliable source of supplement to the labor shortage in Macau.

Regarding the enhancement of delegation exchanges at all levels, Consul General Le Duc Hanh and Chief Executive of the Special Zone Ha Nhat Thanh agreed that Vietnam and Macau still have many opportunities to develop potential fields, and agreed on the need to enhance delegation exchanges at all levels. Chief Executive of the Special Zone Ha Nhat Thanh shared that many Vietnamese products such as rice and pork are very popular with Macau people. He welcomed Vietnam to participate in major trade events that are about to take place in Macau, such as the Macau International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) to promote quality Vietnamese products. He also invited the Vietnamese art troupe to Macau to attend art exhibitions and welcomed Vietnamese students to study in Macau.

Consul General Le Duc Hanh (sitting in the middle, left) during a meeting with the Macau Labor Department. Photo: VNA

In response, Consul General Le Duc Hanh invited the Chief Executive and the Macau business delegation to visit Vietnam as soon as possible to promote bilateral cooperation in many fields. Also within the framework of the visit, Consul General Le Duc Hanh and the Consulate General delegation visited and worked with the leaders of the Macau Labor Department to update the situation of Vietnamese workers in the locality, discuss solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles for workers and propose cooperation mechanisms in the coming time.