Wang Yi, director of China's Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, attended a two-day meeting of the BRICS in Russia's St. Petersburg, on the sidelines of which he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS officials.
The 14th meeting of the BRICS high-ranking officials responsible for security matters and national security advisors, held from Wednesday to Thursday, focused on combating terrorism, cyber-security, and organized crime threats. A Chinese delegation, led by Wang, attended the gathering of the BRICS grouping.
Besides participating in several wide-format BRICS sessions, Wang had a lot of bilateral meetings. One of the most important discussions he had was with Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, on Wednesday.
"For Brazil, China is the biggest market. And of course, I think the BRICS is a new group, which is very important, and whose cohesiveness is essential for a peaceful world," said Amorim.
Putin had a meeting with nine representatives of national security agencies from nine BRICS member countries on the sidelines of the meeting on Thursday. It was a friendly meeting with a lot of smiles, showing that the Russian president was happy that Russia holds the rotating presidency of BRICS this year.
In a speech, Putin gave his assessment of the BRICS achievements during the Russian presidency.
"Today, more than thirty countries, or more precisely, 34 states, have already expressed their desire to join in one form or another in the activities of our association," said Putin.
The Russian president also stated that during the summit in Kazan, which will take place at the end of October in the Russian city of Kazan, a new mechanism would be created for those countries to allow them partner status within the bloc in the future.
After the joint meeting with representatives from nine BRICS countries, Putin had a one-on-one meeting with Wang.
Senior Chinese diplomat attends BRICS meeting, meets Putin, BRICS officials
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
