Macau, China, March 18, 2026 (Lusa) – The Commissioner of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macau said on Wednesday that, as an international centre for cooperation, the city must remain "open to foreign talent."
During a briefing on the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan and its impact on Macau’s development, Bian Lixin highlighted that "visa facilitation and cross-border mobility measures will be strengthened to attract highly qualified professionals."
These include preferential measures to facilitate cross-border movement of foreign nationals between Macau and Hengqin (Mountain Island), and visa facilitation policies for foreign citizens with permanent residency in Macau travelling to the mainland, supporting the territory's development as a "high-level international talent hub".
China's central government established the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin as a special economic area designed to support Macau's economic diversification and complement essential services for the city's residents.
In July 2023, Macau established a programme to attract qualified personnel from the financial sector and from scientific and technological research and development, including Nobel Prize winners. The programme offers various advantages, such as tax benefits.
By late October, the Secretary-General of the Talent Development Commission stated that Macau had approved 464 of more than 1,000 applications for the programme. The overwhelming majority of these professionals are from mainland China (80%) and Hong Kong (10%), with 47% having "work or study experience abroad".
However, residency in Macau for Portuguese citizens has become more restricted since August 2023, as they are now treated like other foreign nationals, focusing on family reunification or highly specific technical skills. Permanent residency authorisation generally requires seven years of habitual residence.
According to the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macau, her office will align diplomatic efforts to ensure that the local development strategy integrates with national priorities.
At the same time, Bian highlighted that Macau must "enhance its diplomacy", leveraging ties with Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries to deepen cooperation within the "Belt and Road Initiative" and expand exchanges with Eurasia and Southeast Asia.
The Macau government confirmed on Tuesday that the Chief Executive, Sam Hou Fai, will visit Portugal and Spain between 17 and 23 April.
Sam Hou Fai, who took office in December 2024, identified promoting financial and commercial services between China and Hispanic countries as a priority, complementing the role of the Sino-Lusophone platform assigned to Macau by the Chinese Government.
The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) for China’s development was approved this month by Beijing, focusing on "new quality productive forces", high technology, technological autonomy, and strengthening domestic consumption. The plan sets a target for moderate economic growth, with GDP goals between 4.5% and 5%.
The Chief Executive confirmed that Macau’s development plans will be aligned with the national plan, promising "bold reforms".
Simultaneously, economic diversification beyond the gambling industry will be a priority, with the territory expanding its competitiveness in traditional Chinese medicine, modern financial services, high-tech industries, and the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector.
Macau’s GDP in 2025 grew by 4.7%, reaching 418 billion patacas (€41 billion), driven primarily by the recovery of the gambling and tourism sectors, which accounted for more than half of the local economy.
NCM/RYOL // ADB.
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