The sole candidate for Macao's leader pledges to diversify the casino city's economy
The sole candidate in the election for Macao’s next leader has pledged to diversify the economy of the Chinese casino city, a goal previously laid out by Beijing
By KANIS LEUNG
Published - Sep 29, 2024, 08:22 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 06:49 PM EST
HONG KONG (AP) — The sole candidate in the election for Macao’s next leader has pledged to diversify the economy of the Chinese casino city, a goal previously laid out by Beijing.
Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, said at a news conference Saturday that the diversification is a key issue he must address. At a separate event, he told election committee members who will vote on Oct. 13 that the city has learned a lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Macao's tourism and gaming industries suffered a big slump because of the virus controls before China rolled back its “zero-COVID” strategy in late 2022.
Sam said just relying on the gaming industry is not enough. “Otherwise, how could we handle it if big disasters arise?” he said.
