Xi hails Macau future on 25th anniversary of homeland return
Print Edition
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Macau yesterday on a special plane.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will attend a gathering celebrating the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macau Special Administrative Region tomorrow.
In a brief speech at the airport, Xi said that over the past 25 years, the practice of “one country, two systems” with Macau characteristics has achieved success widely recognized by the world, showcasing great vitality and unique charm.
Describing Macau as “a pearl on the palm” of the motherland, he expressed confidence in its promising future. “This is the glory of Macau residents and the pride of all Chinese people.”
“Every visit to this beautiful place has been very delightful for me,” he added.
On behalf of the central government and Chinese people of all ethnic groups, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to all Macau residents, adding that Macau’s development and its residents’ well-being have always been on his mind.
Xi said he will have extensive and in-depth exchanges with friends in Macau on the region’s development during the visit. He expressed the belief that Macau will create an even brighter future by fully leveraging the institutional advantages of “one country, two systems,” working hard and actively promoting innovation.
“As long as we give full play to the institutional strengths of ‘one country, two systems’ and dare to strive and innovate, Macau will surely create a brighter future,” Xi said.
Since the return from Portuguese rule in 1999, Macau has been governed as a special administrative region under the “one country, two systems” policy — a unique arrangement that allows it to maintain its capitalist system and way of life within socialist China.
Over the years, Macau’s GDP had grown from 51.9 billion patacas (US$6.23 billion) in 1999 to 379.5 billion patacas in 2023, while the per capita GDP had more than quadrupled to around US$70,000. This year, Forbes magazine listed Macau as the second-richest place in the world, trailing only Luxembourg.
The annual tourist arrivals to the city have also surged to more than 32 million from 7 million 25 years ago.
The central government has taken into full consideration Macau’s unique position and role, encouraging it to actively integrate into the national development strategy.
For Hong Kong and Macau, “one country, two systems” is the biggest strength; China’s reform and opening up has set the broadest stage for their development; and the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area present new opportunities, Xi has said.
The Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, established in 2021 under Xi’s personal planning and guidance, has enabled Macau to develop industries such as high-end manufacturing, traditional Chinese medicine, financial services, and cultural tourism, helping to reduce its overdependence on the gaming sector.
As of September 2024, the zone has attracted 6,461 Macau firms and 16,539 Macau residents. The deeply-integrated development between Guangdong and Macau is becoming a reality.
Infrastructure construction has gathered speed. On October 23, 2018, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge, was opened.
Over the past six years, the bridge has evolved into a key economic and trade channel and a vital logistics artery in the Greater Bay Area. The annual number of border crossings at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Port and the Hengqin Port both exceeded 20 million in 2024, setting new records.
“Over the 25 years since Macau’s return, the motherland has been Macau’s strongest backing for prosperity and stability, and has provided the greatest opportunities for Macau’s development,” said Ho Iat Seng, outgoing Macau SAR chief executive.
Xi met with Ho, expressing the central authorities’ full acknowledgment of his work and that of the fifth-term Macau SAR government.
Tomorrow, he will attend the anniversary ceremony and the inauguration of chief executive Sam Hou Fai.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
