Macao's economy has been developing steadily and local GDP growth in 2004 is expected to hit 20 percent compared with 2003.

The government of China's special administrative region says that by the end of this September, Macao's foreign trade volume had topped 4.6 billion US dollars, about 20 percent more than last year.

This rise will open up new channels for trade and investment between Portuguese-speaking countries and China.

Particular areas of economic growth are Macao's casino business, whose turnover in the first half of this year was equal to about 70 percent of the casino business in Las Vegas. The region's tourism industry has so far witnessed an influx of 13 million travellers this year.