Chief Executive of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Edmund Ho Hau Wah has thanked the State Council for approving a proposal by the local government for a 3.61 square-kilometer land reclamation project, the local Macao Post Daily reported Monday.

The newspaper quoted Ho's statement of thanks as saying that the approval shows the central government's "total support" for Macao and that its decision also ensures Macao's long-term prosperity and sustainable development.

The statement did not give any details of the project, such as its location.

The new project will create "more public facilities and green spaces," as well as set aside plots of land for public housing projects and the development of business sectors promoting economic diversification, the statement said.

Meanwhile, it pledges Macao SAR government's commitment to consulting "all sectors of society" on the project with the aim of "building a better future for Macao."

According to the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), Macao's current land area amounts to 29.2 square kilometers. The land reclamation project will increase Macao's land area by 12.3 percent.