Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), pledged Tuesday to maintain the transparent and open trade policy.

Ho, while addressing the opening ceremony of a high-level government-business conference, said the MSAR is to keep creating "a level-playing field" for local and foreign businesses.

The chief executive said Macao's economy, with limited natural and human resources, is characterized by its proneness to external impacts.

In order to maintain the momentum of economic growth, he said, the region endeavor to foster closer and long-term trade cooperation with other economies.

"Our main thrust currently is to work together with places closer to us," he stated.

Ho said over the past few years, Macao has achieved successful regional integration on trade and services with China's Pearl River Delta region, covering nine mainland provincial-level units and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The signing of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) with the Chinese mainland in 2003 boosted the cooperations with the delta region, he added.

He said the conference, co-hosted by United Nation's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and International Trade Center, will aid Macao further deepen its insight in regional trading cooperation.

Over 100 representatives of some 30 countries and regions, most from the Asia-Pacific area, attended the three-day meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency October 4, 2005)