Chief Executive welcomes Ms Liu Yandong

The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, hosted a welcome banquet for Ms Liu Yandong, Vice-Chairwoman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. In his welcome speech at the dinner at the Headquarters of the SAR Government, Mr Ho said that with the strong support of the motherland, the “One Country Two Systems” and “Macao People Governing Macao” policies and a high degree of autonomy had been successfully implemented since the establishment of the Macao SAR, In the past seven years, social and economic development had been stable and gradual and the well being of the people was maintained, he said. “It laid a firm foundation for social harmony in the SAR and the peaceful reunification with the motherland” Mr Ho said Ms Liu’s visit had great significance and had shown the care and support of the Central Government to Macao in an important moment of the SAR’s development, and he hoped that Ms Liu would give more guidance and opinion to the development of the SAR. Mr Liu said in her response that seven years after her last visit at the establishment of the MSAR, she had returned to see a new, prosperous and beautiful and vigorous Macao, which had proved that the “One Country Two Systems” policy is the best arrangement for the prosperity of Macao and the Basic Law is the legal protection for the long-term prosperity and stability of Macao. She said the MSAR Government headed by Mr Ho and the people of Macao, with the support of the Central Government, had been implementing the “One Country Two Systems” policy and the Basic Law with determination, making “Macao People Governing Macao” policy a success. “The prosperity, stability of the society, the improvement of the people’s well-being and the developments in various sectors had shown that Macao people had the wisdom and ability to do well in governing, establishing and developing Macao.” She said China was standing on a new historical threshold: after 28 years of reform and opening up, the country had experienced great changes and the economic growth had increased 15 times -- the annual growth in the country’s income this year was equivalent to the total annual income of 1996. At the same time, the livelihood of the people had improved and the country’s international status had risen. Ms Liu said that the development of the country was the result of all Chinese people, including those living in Hong Kong, Macao Taiwan and overseas, and that the Central Government would continue to fully implement the “One Country Two Systems” policy and the Basic Law, and support the development of Macao. In this favorable situation, the future of Macao would depend on the people of Macao to exert themselves and, with the guidance of “One Country Two Systems” policy and the Basic Law, the endeavours of the Macao people would bring an even better future to Macao. Earlier in the afternoon, Ms Liu visited the children a childcare centre run by the Women’s General Association of Macau.