The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, sincerely thanked Director Xia for fully affirming the work of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government and for the consistent interest in, and support for, the development of Macao in all its aspects.
Mr Ho talked to the media today at the Government Headquarters to summarise the seven-day visit of the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Mr Xia Baolong. Mr Xia successfully concluded his inspection tour of Macao and the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
The MSAR Government will unswervingly implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s series of important speeches and the important deployment steps set out by the 20th CPC National Congress, and live up to the high standards of care and expectation shown by the central authorities, said Mr Ho. The MSAR Government will lead the administrative team, and join hands with all sectors of society in order better to make use of the six advantages of Macao as praised by Director Xia, and polish the “golden business card” of Macao as an international metropolis.
The Chief Executive said the visit had come a year after Mr Xia’s previous one. On the latest occasion, Director Xia had conveyed President Xi’s cordial message of care regarding all Macao residents, and done so via a schedule even more intensive and wider in scope than previously. Mr Xia conducted nearly 40 inspections across Macao and the Cooperation Zone.
In addition to on-site inspections, Director Xia also held discussions with representatives from various sectors. They included principal officials of the MSAR Government and heads of the legislative and judicial branches; representatives of the National People's Congress and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Macao; and representatives of associations and community representatives. He also went deep into the grassroots, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the overall situation in Macao.
Director Xia also put forward the vivid metaphor that Macao is the apple of the country’s eye. Macao’s important status is self-evident, said Mr Ho.
During his visit, Mr Xia conducted in-depth inspection of Macao’s medical and healthcare system, the ‘Big Health industry’, high-tech industry, and education and youth institutions. He visited the Cooperation Zone to learn more about the work achieved under its first-stage development goals. His work included inspecting Hengqin Port, the Cooperation Zone's public services centre, innovative scientific and technological enterprises, the “Macao New Neighbourhood” project, and “Big Health” industry projects.
Director Xia fully affirmed the progress made by Macao in all aspects of work. He pointed out that Macao has achieved fresh progress in maintaining national security, and taken new steps in achieving appropriate economic diversification, as well as making progress in the construction of the Cooperation Zone, and in improving social conditions and people’s livelihoods. External exchanges and cooperation have played a new role, and the governance capabilities of the MSAR Government have been further improved.
Mr Ho pointed out that Director Xia had emphasised during his visit, Macao’s six advantages. They are: the greatest institutional advantage of the “One country, two systems” principle; sufficient development space; a highly internationalised business environment; a strong economic foundation; a unique blend of Chinese and Western cultural characteristics; and a traditionalist passion of patriotism and loyalty. Director Xia emphasised the need to make concerted efforts to polish the “golden business card” of Macao as an international metropolis. This was an affirmation and encouragement to the MSAR, and also an expression of expectation regarding its future development.
Mr Ho said the MSAR Government will make every effort to promote economic development; improve people’s livelihoods; strive to transform into useful momentum the support and care shown by the central authorities; effectively coordinate development and security; unswervingly promote the “1+4” appropriate economic diversification development strategy; and continuously optimise the city’s industrial structure. The MSAR Government will firmly grasp the valuable opportunities arising from the development of the Cooperation Zone, so that it can truly become a new platform for Macao to achieve an appropriately-diversified economy. The Government will also actively connect with national strategies such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the “Belt and Road” initiative, in order better to integrate into the overall development of the country.
At the same time, the MSAR Government will intensify its efforts in developing foreign tourist source markets, in order to attract a greater number of international tourists to Macao. It will also strive to promote the distinctive and unique characteristics of Macao’s integration of Chinese and Western cultural elements, and organise additional large-scale promotional activities. The Government will continue to increase Macao’s non-gaming elements, such as developing the conference and exhibition industry, and the entertainment industry. It will also continue to deepen integration across the sectors covered by the “tourism+” strategy, and strive to transform Macao into a “city of performing arts” and “city of sports”, so that tourists from all over the world can feel that Macao is a city worthy of its name: an international metropolis with extraordinary charm.
At the press conference, Mr Ho said that Macao residents have always had a fine tradition of loving the country and loving Macao. The MSAR Government will continue to unite and lead all walks of life in order continuously to develop and strengthen the forces of patriotism and of love for Macao. It will also ensure that the tradition of patriotism and love for Macao is passed on from generation to generation, and will build a solid social and political foundation for the “One country, two systems” principle.
Meanwhile, the MSAR Government must gather forces from all walks of life in order resolutely to safeguard the constitutional order of the MSAR established in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and in the Basic Law of the MSAR; continue to improve the legal mechanism for implementing the principle of “patriots governing Macao”; and always regard safeguarding national security as a top priority. The Government must resolutely prevent or, if necessary, curb external forces from interfering in Macao affairs; safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests; and ensure the long-term prosperity and stability of Macao, and the successful implementation of the “One country, two systems” principle.
Mr Ho emphasised that the MSAR Government will, in accordance with Director Xia’s instructions, make good use of Macao’s six advantages in order to promote the city’s continuous development. The Government will go all-out to join hands with people of all walks of life among the residents of Macao, in order to work together to promote comprehensively fresh progress in various undertakings in Macao.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, and the year when the Cooperation Zone achieves its first-stage development goals.
The MSAR Government will actively take advantage of the opportunity presented by the organising of these “double celebration” activities, in order to unite the ideas of ‘family’ and ‘country’. The MSAR Government will tell the story of Macao's successful implementation of the "One country, two systems" principle, polish the “golden business card” of Macao as an international metropolis, and make new contributions to realising the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through a Chinese path to modernisation.
