‘Shouldering the mission and working together, opening up and developing a new chapter’
The order of the year changes, and the chapters are renewed day by day. On the occasion of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, on behalf of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR), I would like to extend my best wishes to the Macao compatriots and express my sincere gratitude to all friends from all walks of life who care about and support Macao-related diplomatic work.
2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee was successfully held, the comprehensive deepening of reforms is marching forward, and China's modernization is advancing vigorously, contributing Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the cause of world peace and development. 2024 also marked the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. President Xi Jinping visited Macao and delivered a series of important speeches, highly affirming the great achievements made in the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" with Macao characteristics over the past 25 years, profoundly expounding the value concept and contemporary significance of "One Country, Two Systems", and comprehensively drawing up a blueprint for Macao's long-term development, which fully reflects President Xi’s deep concern and earnest expectations for Macao, which is encouraging and inspiring.
Looking back over the past 25 years, with the strong support of the Central People’s Government and the mainland, Macao's "one center, one platform, and one base" development has been deepened, and cooperation with countries and regions that jointly build the "Belt and Road" with high quality has continued to deepen. The number of international "sister cities" and "circles of friends" is growing more and more, and there are more and more “Macao Golden Business Cards” such as "City of Gastronomy", "City of Culture" and "City of Events". The advantages of the base for cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries have become more prominent, and Macao’s international influence and prestige have been greatly improved. It has developed into a world-renowned international metropolis that connects the inside and the outside world, and has become an important bridgehead for the country's high-level opening-up to the outside world. It has made important contributions to comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization.
At present, the international situation is changing and turbulent. Chinese diplomacy has demonstrated calmness and confidence in the chaos and actively taken on responsibilities in the changing situation. In 2024, President Xi attended the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, and the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and embarked on four global tours, namely Europe, Central Asia, BRICS, and Latin America, writing a new chapter in the diplomacy of heads of state and leading the trend of win-win cooperation. Under the guidance of the head-of-state diplomatic strategy, China has expanded and deepened its all-round diplomatic layout, firmly defended its core interests, adhered to international fairness and justice, and promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in the spirit of "joint efforts". China's initiatives and ideas are increasingly recognized by the world, and major global issues are increasingly inseparable from China's participation. China’s significance to the modern world has been fully demonstrated, bringing broad opportunities for global open development and providing strong support for global strategic stability.
2025 is the first year of the full implementation of the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and it is also the first year of the new government of the Macao Special Administrative Region. President Xi has expressed his earnest expectations for Macao to build a higher-level opening-up platform, emphasizing that Macao should focus on the "two overall situations", based on the positioning of "one center, one platform, and one base", improve the mechanism to play a better role in the country's opening-up, actively connect with major national strategies, further increase the intensity of two-way opening-up, make good use of the cultural advantages of the integration of Chinese and Western cultures, and show greater achievements on the international stage. President Xi’s earnest expectations and clear requirements not only point out the direction and path for the Macao SAR to expand foreign exchanges and cooperation, but also provide an action guide for Macao-related diplomatic work. We must take President Xi’s diplomatic thought as a guide, thoroughly study and implement the spirit of President Xi’s series of important speeches during his inspection visit to Macao [last month] and the arrangements of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, earnestly shoulder our responsibilities and missions, firmly safeguard national security, deeply practice the concepts of "diplomacy for the people" and "diplomacy for Macao", make every effort to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Macao compatriots overseas, better support and assist the Macao SAR to expand foreign exchanges and cooperation, attract more international resources, build a higher-level opening-up platform, continuously enhance global influence and attractiveness, and create a more favorable international environment for constantly creating a new situation of high-quality development of the "One Country, Two Systems" cause.
The brave will win when a thousand ships compete; and the brave will be the first to row when a hundred boats contest. We firmly believe that with President Xi at the helm and with the full support of the mainland, and with the joint efforts of the Macao SAR government and all sectors of society, Macao will surely seize the historical opportunity of the country's high-quality development and high-level opening up, so that Macao as the “pearl in the palm” of the motherland will shine more brightly and write a new chapter of the prosperous Macao with the successful practice of "One Country, Two Systems"!
I wish the great motherland prosperity! I wish Macao a better tomorrow! I wish all Macao compatriots a Happy New Year and all the best!
N.B. Macau-based Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry Commissioner Liu Xianfa's New Year's Message was released by his office in the Chinese language on New Year's Eve. Its translation was arranged and edited by The Macau Post Daily.
Undated file photo of Commissioner Liu Xianfa. - Photo courtesy of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao Special Administrative Region.
