CE: New Government will live up to President Xi’s expectations and build a better Macao

MACAU, December 20 - The new-term Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) will strive to improve the governance of the MSAR and facilitate the city’s development. It will do its utmost to live up to the expectations of President Xi Jinping, the Central Government, and people in Macao.

The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, made the above remarks yesterday at Macau International Airport, after he bade farewell to President Xi, who concluded his three-day visit to Macao and left the MSAR on a special plane.

Earlier in the day, President Xi attended the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term MSAR Government and made an important speech.

Looking back at the President’s three-day visit, Mr Sam said he was deeply honoured to be sworn in as the sixth-term Chief Executive by Mr Xi, and noted the President’s visit had brought joy and been a source of encouragement for Macao residents.

The Chief Executive said that President Xi’s inspection tour of Macao stood testament to the Central Government’s support for the MSAR’s development and the Central Government’s anticipation regarding the stable and lasting practise of the “One country, two systems” principle in Macao.

President Xi inspected the Macau University of Science and Technology and the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin during his stay in the MSAR, Mr Sam pointed out. The Chief Executive said he was deeply touched by the President’s visit, because it showed Mr Xi’s care for the well-being of Macao residents. He said people in Macao would always feel grateful for the visit, and treasured the good living standard they enjoyed. He urged all sectors in Macao to join hands in building an even better city.

Mr Sam went on to say that President Xi fully acknowledged the achievements made by the MSAR regarding higher education, scientific research, development of the Cooperation Zone, and appropriate economic diversification.

The new-term Government would press ahead with the twin goal of ‘strengthening Macao through education’ and ‘developing Macao with talent’, Mr Sam noted.

Meanwhile, the Government would forge new paths in the development of the Cooperation Zone, and continuously enhance the interconnection of infrastructure and the cohesion of regulations between Macao and Hengqin. This was in order to bring Hengqin-Macao integration to the next level, and ultimately bolster Macao’s economic diversification.

Regarding the “One country, two systems” principle, Mr Sam said President Xi had put forward new requirements and new strategies in the speeches he made in Macao. The President noted that the successful practise of “One country, two systems” with Macao characteristics showed the vitality and uniqueness of this principle.

President Xi said that the great achievements of Macao since its return to the motherland proved to the world that "One country, two systems" has prominent institutional strengths and tremendous vitality. It is a good policy that: helps maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao; serves the noble cause of building a stronger country and achieving national rejuvenation; and helps realise peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between different social systems.

The values of peace, inclusiveness, openness and sharing embodied in the policy are shared by China and the rest of the world, and deserve jointly to be safeguarded, noted the President.

The President put forward four suggestions for furthering the cause of "One country, two systems". These are: upholding steadfastly the foundation of ‘one country’; making full use of the advantages of ‘two systems’; giving full play to the unique strengths of each; and promoting core values while enhancing harmony.

The President raised “Three Aspirations” for Macao. These were: the scaling of new heights in social and economic development; uniting the talent found in various circles, under the banner of patriotism, in order to build a better Macao; and striving for innovations to break new ground in Macao’s history.

The President raised “Four Expectations” for the new-term MSAR Government. These were: enhancing appropriate economic diversification; raising governance capability; building a higher-level platform for external exchanges; and safeguarding social harmony.

Mr Sam said all the points of guidance from the President would steer the MSAR’s development and the practice of “One, country, two systems” in the years to come.

Mr Sam reiterated that he would lead his government team to live up to the Central Government’s expectations. He vowed to: firmly safeguard national sovereignty and national development interests; tackle challenges head on; strengthen solidarity between the Government and patriotic organisations; and maintain the integrity of governance.

The Chief Executive added that the sixth-term Government would study in earnest the spirit of the series of important speeches made by President Xi. It would strive to build the city as “Law-based Macao”, “Vibrant Macao”, “Cultural Macao”, and “Blissful Macao”. Macao would on all fronts play an enhanced role in, and make stronger contributions to, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, while pursuing a Chinese path to modernisation.