Macau Chief Executive to Bring 120-Strong Business Delegation to Lisbon With 39 Cooperation Deals Ready to Sign

Macau's Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai will arrive in Portugal on 18 April at the head of a 120-member business delegation — the largest commercial mission from the Chinese-administered territory since before the pandemic — with more than 39 cooperation agreements expected to be signed across trade, education, tourism, health, and advanced technology.

The four-day visit, confirmed in an interview Sam gave to Macau broadcaster TDM Canal, marks his first overseas trip since taking office and sends a clear signal that Beijing views Portugal as a strategic gateway to the European Union and the Portuguese-speaking world.

Deals Spanning the Greater Bay Area

The delegation will include not only Macau-based companies but also more than 20 firms from the Greater Bay Area — the economic mega-region encompassing Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou — as well as enterprises from other Chinese provinces. The breadth of the participating businesses underscores the scope of Chinese commercial interest in Portugal, which has grown steadily since Beijing designated Macau as a platform for economic cooperation with Lusophone countries.

The 39-plus agreements are expected to cover sectors including the Sino-Portuguese economic platform, talent training, cultural exchange, and technology partnerships. While the full list of signatories has not been disclosed, sources familiar with the preparations say deals involving renewable energy, fintech, and higher education are among the most advanced.

Cultural Diplomacy and Student Outreach

Beyond the business agenda, Sam will oversee a photography exhibition in Lisbon showcasing what the Macau government describes as the achievements of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle. A promotional video featuring interviews with figures who participated in Macau's 1999 handover will also be screened.

Sam confirmed he will meet with University of Macau students currently studying in Portugal — a nod to the growing academic pipeline between the two territories. Portuguese universities, particularly in Lisbon and Coimbra, have seen a marked increase in enrolments from Macau and mainland China in recent years, drawn by lower tuition fees compared with the UK and a pathway to European residency.

Meetings With Portugal's Top Leaders

In Lisbon, Sam is expected to meet Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, Parliament Speaker José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, and former Socialist leader António José Seguro. Representatives from Portugal's executive, legislative, and judicial branches are on the agenda, signalling that the visit carries weight well beyond commercial deal-making.

The timing is notable. Aguiar-Branco only last week completed a rare cross-party parliamentary delegation to Beijing, Shanghai, and Macau — the first such visit in years — during which he described Macau as a 'strategic bridge' between Portugal and the Lusophone world. Sam's reciprocal visit, arriving barely a week later, suggests the two sides have been coordinating a diplomatic reset.

Geneva and Brussels on the Itinerary

Portugal is not the only stop. Sam will also travel to Geneva for meetings at the World Trade Organisation, where Macau has maintained an economic and trade office since 2003, and to Brussels for discussions with European Union leadership. In Brussels, he plans to review Macau's implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems' with EU officials and explore avenues for deeper commercial and people-to-people cooperation.

For Portugal, the visit represents a tangible test of the country's ambition to serve as the EU's preferred interlocutor with the Chinese-speaking world — a role that carries both economic opportunity and geopolitical complexity at a time when Brussels is recalibrating its relationship with Beijing.