In 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the concept of the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21^st Century Maritime Silk Road”. In 2015, China formally released the “Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road”. To commemorate this important milestone, Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau will issue the stamp theme “The 10^th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative” on 7^th September, 2023.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, Macao has encountered a significant historical opportunity for development. It has provided Macao with extensive room for development in areas such as world tourism and leisure centre, a commercial and trade co-operation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, conventions and exhibitions, financial services with special characteristics, Chinese medicine and cultural creativity, etc., which facilitate mutual benefit and coordinated development between Mainland China and Macao.

This issue includes one souvenir sheet, and the stamp design uses the number “10” as the main image to represent the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. In the souvenir sheet, light blue is used as the main colour to symbolize the ocean; the horizontal blue ribbon represents the “Maritime Silk Road”; the plane, port facilities and container ship signify the prosperity and dynamism of commercial exchanges; and the English letters “BRI” is an acronym for “Belt and Road Initiative”.

The above issue will be available for sale at the General Post Office (9:00a.m. to 5:30p.m.), the Communications Museum (9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m., 2:30p.m. to 5:30p.m.), and the “Rua do Campo” Post Office (9:00a.m. to 6:00p.m.). The mail service for the philatelic products cancelled with the commemorative postmark of this issue will be available on the issue date at the above locations. The philatelic products are as follows:

In addition, China Post, Hongkong Post and Macao Post and Telecommunications jointly issue a Prestige Stamp Booklet under this stamp theme, which contains the stamps and souvenir sheets issued by the three postal administrations. The face values are: a block of 4 stamps at RMB4.80, souvenir sheets at HKD10.00 and MOP10.00, respectively. This is the twelfth joint issue of the three postal administrations.

From the total printing quantity of souvenir sheets, 141,400 sheets are transformed as the same quantity of prestige stamp booklets. A total of 15,000 booklets will be sold in Macao at 32.00 patacas each and they are numbered with the code “C” that represents Macao.

Due to the limited quantity of the Prestige Stamp Booklet, the sales quota per queuing customer on the issue date is 5 booklets. A limited quantity of First Day Cover and Information Brochure (without souvenir sheets) will be available for sale at the Philatelic Shop of General Post Office on the issue date. Customers can produce the philatelic products by affixing the Macao souvenir sheet from the booklet and have it cancelled with the issue postmark for their collection or mail to their beloved friends and relatives.

The stamp designer of this issue is Mr. Wang Huming, who is also the writer of the text of the information brochure.

This is the seventh theme of 2023 issues. The previous issued stamps are “Lunar Year of the Rabbit” on 05/01/2023, the label stamp “Lunar Year of the Rabbit” on 01/02/2023, “110^th Anniversary of the Macao Chamber of Commerce” on 01/03/2023, “30^th Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Basic Law of Macao” on 31/03/2023, “Five Auspicious Animals of Ancient China” on 06/06/2023, “Lou Pan Temples” on 28/07/2023, and “Explore Macao” will be issued on 01/09/2023.

Technical Data of Stamp “The 10^th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative”

Details