Macao Secretary for Administration and Justice Sónia Chan Hoi Fan has announced that Macao and Portugal intend to strike this year an agreement to exchange fugitives from justice in Portugal caught in Macao and fugitives from justice in Macao caught in Portugal.

The Macao government issued a written statement quoting Ms Chan as saying a party of Macao officials that she led on a visit to Portugal last month reached a preliminary agreement on the matter with the Portuguese authorities.

Ms Chain said Portuguese and Macao officials were attending to the details with view to having a definitive agreement ready to sign this year, according to the government statement.

Separately, a Macao radio station, TDM, quoted Ms Chan as saying a Portuguese wanted in Macao would be safe from extradition if in Portugal, and a Chinese wanted in Portugal would be safe from extradition if in Macao.