President Xi Jinping poses for a group photograph with the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, who is visiting Beijing for a four-day duty visit.(Photo from Xinhua)
President Xi Jinping today said the Central Government fully affirmed the work done by the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government, led by the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng.
President Xi met Mr Ho at Yingtai, within theZhongnanhaicompound, in Beijing. Mr Ho was in the capital to report to state leaders on the current situation in Macao, and on the work of the MSAR Government.
In 2021, Macao had maintained its stability and had good momentum for development, noted President Xi.
Macao had taken effective measures – via prevention and control work – to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, strove to maintain a ‘zero’ case approach, and had worked to normalise boundary crossing movement between the mainland and Macao, he said.
The pandemic had created tough challenges for the global economy, but also created moments for reflection, said President Xi. The advent of the pandemic had made clear to the Macao community the structural issues in the city’s economy. That would help to generate a thorough understanding of the city’s necessary development path, he added.
The President went on to say that in 2021, Macao’s economy saw gradual recovery. Disadvantaged groups and small- and micro-business enterprises had been offered assistance; the city’s legal system and executive mechanism regarding safeguarding national security had been optimised; the election for the seventh Legislative Assembly had been held successfully; and the principle of “patriots governing Macao” had been further implemented.
The promulgation by the Central Government of the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, would pave a new path for Macao to further its integration into national effort, said President Xi.
The motherland has always been the backbone on which Macao could rely, to maintain its long-term stability and prosperity, said the President. The Central Government would continue to adhere to the “One country, two systems” principle, and to support Macao in accelerating its adequate economic diversification effort. Such effort would help the continuous implementation of the “One country, two systems” principle with Macao characteristics.
President Xi additionally said he wanted to extend his sincere good wishes to the Macao public, as the city had celebrated recently its 22nd anniversary as an SAR, on the eve of the calendar new year.
Speaking during the meeting, Mr Ho said the year 2021 had marked a century since the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the start of the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan, and the beginning of a journey to build fully a modern socialist China. The Macao public had been hugely proud to see the country had made significant achievements and enjoyed bright prospects, especially after the adoption of a resolution by the CPC Central Committee, on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party Over the Past Century. The recognition by the Macao public of the role of the CPC, and their sense of belonging to the country, had been further reinforced, added Mr Ho.
With the guidance of, and assistance from, the Central Government, with President Xi at its core, the MSAR Government had united and led people across all sectors in Macao, in order to realise and implement the instructions in the important speeches made by President Xi, said Mr Ho.
The Macao community had made concerted effort in order comprehensively and precisely to implement the “One country, two systems” principle; to shoulder the city’s constitutional responsibilities and duties to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, safety and development interests; and firmly to adhere to the fundamental principle of “patriots governing Macao”.
Over the past 12 months, the MSAR Government had been diligently implementing every Macao-related policy introduced by the Central Government, and had worked proactively to align itself with the country’s overall development, said Mr Ho.
In addition, Macao had devoted all-out effort to coordinate work in order to normalise epidemic prevention and control work and speed up recovery in the socio-economic field. In 2021, Macao had promoted, in an orderly manner, the election for the Legislative Assembly, and advanced projects relating to people’s livelihoods. These steps were in line with the MSAR Government’s vision for ensuring progress amid maintaining stability in the overall development of politics, the economy, and social affairs, added Mr Ho.
The Chief Executive said he, on behalf of the MSAR and the Macao public, thanked President Xi for his support of Macao, and care regarding the city’s development, which he had demonstrated in various ways and on several occasions.
Officials attending the meeting included: Vice Premier of the State Council and head of the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macao Affairs, Mr Han Zheng; the Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, Mr Ding Xuexiang; Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, Mr Guo Shengkun; Director of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, Mr You Quan; State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Wang Yi; Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong; Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Zhang Xiaoming; the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR, Mr Fu Ziying; and the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office of the MSAR, Ms Hoi Lai Fong.
