Dear fellow Macao residents, friends,
Happy New Year!
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, we are ready to embrace our blessings and fortune of the new year. On this joyous occasion when our families gather together to ring out the old and ring in the new, on behalf of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, I would like to extend my heartfelt Chinese new year greetings to all fellow residents and friends who support and attach great importance to the development of Macao. I wish everyone health, happiness and prosperity! May the Year of the Snake bring us wisdom and strength. May we create a better future for Macao together!
“One can tell the inside of an object by observing its outside; likewise, having observed the past, we can predict the future”. As we look back at the Year of the Dragon, remarkable stories have been staged and precious memories have been made here in the land of the lotus: President Xi Jinping attended the celebration events and the inauguration ceremony of the new-term Government, and delivered important speeches to mark 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland; and preferential policies for Macao rolled out by the Central Government, gradual economic recovery achieved with the concerted efforts made by different sectors across the city, overall stability and harmony maintained in the society. As the people of Macao celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, we are proud of the great achievements of our motherland and we have further strengthened our sense of national identity. The Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has been established for three years and new achievements have been attained for the integration of Macao and Hengqin; the charm of this new “home” is glowing.
According to Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes wisdom, sensitivity, flexibility, and auspiciousness. There may be all kinds of uncertainties on our path to the future and rapid changes may take place in the international landscape; however, our motherland will always be our staunch supporter. The “One Country, Two Systems” principle will always be our institutional advantage, and the solidarity and cooperation of people from all walks of life will always be the greatest confidence for us to forge ahead in unity. With our creative and innovative thinking and our willingness to reform in order to cope with changes, we will seize all opportunities and pave our way for the future.
Standing at this new historical starting point, we take up this new mission. This new year also marks the first year of the inauguration of the sixth-term Government, we will continue to strengthen the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and uphold national security with a greater sense of responsibility. We will strive to enhance the governance and management capacity, stay committed to building a service-oriented government with diligence, integrity, high-efficiency and impartiality. We will proactively promote economic diversification, bolster the development of Macao as a world center of tourism and leisure, create better development and employment opportunities for the people of Macao. We will exercise people-centered governance to ensure and improve people’s wellbeing and pragmatically solve people’s real-life problems. We are determined to build a harmonious, diversified and inclusive society for all ethnic groups. We will continue to consolidate our role as “One Base” and strengthen the building of “One Platform”, create a high-quality open platform and proactively involve in the integration of the country’s development paradigm. In the construction of the In-depth Cooperation Zone, we will strictly implement President Xi’s important directives. We will always bear in mind that the original intention to develop Hengqin is for the benefit of Macao’s appropriate economic diversification and we will continue to focus on the “Three Criteria” as we evaluate the development results of the In-depth Cooperation Zone. We will make better achievements in the implementation of innovative policies and integration of regulations, bolster advancements in the development of industries and building of foundations, and expedite a new stage of Macao-Hengqin integration in the areas of systems, mechanisms, policies and others.
Dear fellow residents, friends,
The development of Macao is inevitably linked to the collective efforts and contributions made by each and every citizen. In the Year of the Snake, let us join hands and forge ahead with solidarity; let us contribute our wisdom and strength for the development of Macao. I believe under the strong leadership of the Central Government, the staunch support of our motherland, and the concerted efforts from sectors across the society and people from all walks of life, Macao will surge to new heights and compose a new chapter in the Year of the Snake!
As the new year bell rings, I wish our motherland auspiciousness and prosperity, I wish Macao stability and harmony. May all households in Macao be filled with peace, health and happiness. To all civil servants and everyone who remain dedicated to serving the community during the festival and their families, please accept my heartfelt respect and appreciation!
I wish everyone a rewarding and joyous new year!
Thank you!
