The Chief Executive, Mr ChuiSai On, attended a briefing session designed to share insights on the new policies and aspirations set out in the recently-concluded 2019 sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – events collectively known as the “Two Sessions”. He said that the community should learn how to realise the spirit of the Two Sessions, implement all important instructions of President Xi Jinping regarding Macao, and make good progress in the city’s major tasks, in order to achieve organic integration of its economy with the rest of the country.
Mr Chui noted that this year would see the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), as well as a change of administration in Macao. The Government would follow the broad approach of making progress while also ensuring stability – a path emphasised for the country during the Two Sessions – in order pragmatically to promote Macao’s stable development in all areas.
The briefing and sharing session was held on Tuesday (19 March). The Chief Executive shared information on two main themes he had understood via his attendance at the Two Sessions.
The first theme was that the community should learn how to realise the spirit of the Two Sessions, and implement all important instructions of President Xi Jinping regarding Macao, in order to achieve organic integration of Macao in the country’s economy.
The Chief Executive said that the Central Government’s Work Report for this year took Macao into consideration in various sections of the document, demonstrating the Central Government’s full support for, and concern about, Macao. On various occasions, Central Government leaders expressed in different ways their concern for Macao, their support for the city, and the importance they attached to the implementation of “One country, two systems” and to the development of Macao.
In consequence, said Mr Chui, Macao would continue comprehensively and correctly to uphold the principles of: “One country, two systems”; “Macao people governing Macao”; and a high degree of autonomy. Macao would also strictly follow the country’s Constitution and Macao’s Basic Law, persist with the foundation of “One country”, and make effective use of the “Two systems”, in order to achieve organic integration of the absolute authority – in terms of governance – of the Central People’s Government; and the high degree of autonomy enjoyed by the Macao SAR. The community should perform actual deeds to safeguard the sovereignty and security of the country, and the social benefits accrued by the country; as well as to safeguard Macao’s long-term prosperity and stability.
At the same time, the community should continue making use of Macao’s advantages, serve the country’s needs, establish Macao as “One Centre, One Platform”, support full opening up of China, participate in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) and in the “Belt and Road” initiative, integrate into the overall national development plan, successfully realise the principle of “One country, two systems”, enrich the scope of national governance, and promote international exchanges with a focus on Portuguese-speaking countries and Southeast Asian regions.
The second point of understanding gleaned from the Two Sessions, said the Chief Executive, was that the community should learn how to uphold the spirit of the Two Sessions and make good progress in major tasks, in order to achieve organic integration.
Mr Chui also cited four important tasks for Macao:
First, the community should enhance its understanding of larger interests, and make contributions to maintaining Macao’s social stability and harmony, ensure smooth progress with a lawful, fair, just, and corruption-free election to choose the city’s fifth Chief Executive, and ensure a smooth change of administration within the Macao SAR Government.
Second, the community should persist in focusing on economic development and people’s livelihoods as its core administrative values, to ensure Macao’s sustainable and healthy economic growth and social stability.
Third, the community should continue promoting development of the Greater Bay Area, and pragmatically enhance Macao’s position as a core city of the Greater Bay Area. The Government was currently coordinating 49 items of work involving Macao, as envisaged in the Central Government’s “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, with the aim of achieving good progress in construction of an international technology and innovation centre in the Greater Bay Area, expediting connectivity of infrastructure, and establishing a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cooperative development platform. The community should strive to bridge regulations existing in the places making up the Greater Bay Area, accelerate flows of resources, and facilitate exchanges of human resources, in order to enhance Macao people’s sense of belonging and satisfaction.
Fourth, the community should continue cultivating the talents of its young people through education, for the future benefit of the community. In recent years, the Government had successfully strengthened and optimised youth education and talent cultivation in all areas, and coordinated the five Government Secretariats and all departments to provide jointly support to young people for their personal development, career development and success.
The Macao SAR Government would further integrate into its work President Xi’s instructions and the spirit of the Two Sessions. The Macao SAR Government would also mobilise enthusiasm in all walks of life, to show concern for young people’s actual needs and their long-term development. The community should work together to foster a younger generation well equipped to meet Macao’s future needs, and inherit the community’s splendid traditions of being loyal to the country and to Macao.
The Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, Mr Ho Hau Wah, said at the briefing session about the Two Sessions that he believed Macao people had the ability and wisdom to elect an enterprising and reliable Chief Executive who would fulfil the aspirations of the Central People’s Government. He also believed that the Macao SAR Government under the leadership of the current Chief Executive would lend its support during the formation of a new administration, and fulfil its duties until a smooth handover had occurred between the incoming and outgoing administrations.
Mr Ho said he also believed that the incoming Chief Executive would assemble a talented team, unite Macao society, and endeavour to go from strength to strength, to uphold the principle of “One country, two systems”, and lead the community’s way to glorious success.
Mr Ho also said that Macao had encountered a variety of opportunities and challenges during different stages of its development. All the community had to do was make the best of its joint efforts, and correctly comprehend the spirit of the Central Government’s vision, especially the “Four Aspirations” raised by President Xi Jinping, to enable Macao to integrate into the overall national development plan.
The Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Mr Fu Ziying, said that Macao’s development was inseparable from that of the motherland. The Central People’s Government would fully support the Chief Executive and the Macao SAR Government’s administration in accordance with the law, and support Macao in making use of its advantages, in order to seize the opportunities of engaging in the “Belt and Road” initiative and the development of the Greater Bay Area.
All sectors of Macao society were integral to the core power of patriotism. The community should uphold the spirit of the Two Sessions, make use of the city’s defined functions for the development of Macao’s economy as a whole, maintain its cognisance of larger interests and accountability, plan for Macao’s development within the overall picture of national development, and lay a solid foundation for Macao’s long-term prosperity and stability.
Mr Fu also said he hoped that all sectors of society could create opportunities for local young people, enabling them to participate in the development of Macao and the nation, and realise their ambitions and visions.