The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, delivers a speech at a lunch reception for representatives of local Macanese community.
The Government would continue offering comprehensive, multidisciplinary development support to the Macanese community, said today the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, during a gathering hosted by the Government with representatives of the local Macanese community, to mark Chinese New Year.
The language, customs and traditions, religious beliefs, and other precious and unique features of Macanese culture, would always be respected in Macao, as they were a crucial element of Macao as a multiple-culture exchange and cooperation base with an emphasis on Chinese culture.
During the gathering, Mr Ho thanked Macao’s Macanese and Portuguese communities for their support and cooperation with the Government, especially in relation to the Government’s epidemic-prevention and -control work.
Over the past year, the Macao public had united as one, in order actively to overcome arduous challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to push forward amid continuous difficulties, he said.
Macanese people, as an important component of the general Macao community, had played their part, fulfilling their duties and responsibilities in various industries and positions, in order to make Macao a safe city for tourist travellers.
The Chief Executive said that during 2022, the Government would adhere to the general principles of the administration in terms of carrying out its work, and achieving the city’s development goals. Such effort included: continuously striving for adequate economic diversification; making pandemic-prevention and -control work a part of normal life; ensuring stable development of various undertakings; and making orderly progress with social and livelihood-related projects.
Mr Ho told those present at the gathering to have confidence that Macao would overcome difficulties. The Government would work in a dedicated manner to seize every development opportunity.
In particular, there were favourable opportunities arising from a number of factors. They included the city’s strategic positioning as a world centre of tourism and leisure; as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries; and as a multiple-culture exchange and cooperation base with an emphasis on Chinese culture (collectively known as the centre, platform and base policies), said Mr Ho.
The Government would additionally devote further effort to: strengthening ties with Portuguese-speaking countries; facilitating the development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; integrating into overall national development; and opening a new chapter of successful implementation of the "One country, two systems" principle, with Macao characteristics, he added.
