The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, chats with young people following the inauguration ceremony of "Gathering of Thousand Talents".
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said the Government was striving to provide Macao’s young people with greater diversity of employment and of opportunities for personal development.
The Government needed to keep pace with the rapid development of information and technology, in order to be able to support young people in the furthering of their achievements.
Mr Chui made his remarks on Sunday (2 April) in an exchange session with young people. The session was held following the inauguration ceremony for the “Gathering of Thousand Talents”, a platform for former participants in the Government’s Thousand Talents Programme.
Macao is stepping up efforts aimed at boosting regional cooperation and at diversifying the city’s economy, backed by strong support from the Central Government and the joint effort of the community.
Against this background, local young people were able to enjoy greater diversity in job opportunities and a greater number of opportunities; while more than 85 percent of Macao’s high school graduates now continued to tertiary-level education. The Government strove to ensure students’ access to education would not be limited due to any financial constraints, said Mr Chui.
The Chief Executive said the high degree of the city’s economic development – over the 17 years since the establishment of the Special Administrative Region – had been remarkable. He noted that while there had been some social issues arising as a result of the Government’s support for development of specific industries, the Government had done a large amount of work in order to better the well-being of the people.
In Sunday’s session, Mr Chui also shared with the gathering his personal experience of education: he returned to Macao in 1984 upon completion of his doctoral degree in the United States. At that time he had been looking for a stable job. Later, he took part in the work of local associations, which inspired his sense of mission in terms of serving the community; he joined the Legislative Assembly in 1992, before being elected as Macao’s Chief Executive.
Mr Chui said he encouraged young people to diversify their efforts regarding personal development, in order that they could pursue their dreams.
Asked by a student what were considered to be the prime qualifications for the role of Chief Executive, Mr Chui mentioned: a patriotic spirit for the country and for Macao; a feeling for serving the community; being able to act strictly in accordance with the Basic Law; having a broad experience of life; having a good education; and having a passion for understanding the community and for taking part in social activities.