The local government will closely study and adhere to the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important remarks that he made during his virtual meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden on Tuesday, the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) said in a statement yesterday.
The meeting by video link was the first such arrangement involving the heads of state of the two countries in the history of China-US relations, the statement pointed out. “It was therefore a milestone bilaterally and in international relations generally,” the statement said.
The two leaders had an extensive exchange of views. The talks included in-depth discussions on issues of strategic, overarching and fundamental importance shaping the development of China-US relations, as well as covering other issues of mutual interest, the statement underlined.
“The two heads of state had a sincere, constructive, concrete and effective conversation, helping the two sides to develop mutual understanding, and the international community to develop positive expectations regarding bilateral ties between the two countries,” the statement said.
The statement pointed out that both China and the US are at critical stages of development, and humanity as a whole faces multiple challenges.
As the world’s two largest economies, China and the US – both permanent members of the UN Security Council – need to increase communication and cooperation, shoulder their share of international responsibilities, and work together to advance the noble cause of world peace and development, the statement said, adding that “this is the shared desire of the people of the two countries, and of people around the world, and the expectation of the international community.
The statement emphasised that the Macau government “firmly supports the ideas that were highlighted by President Xi during the meeting.”
Over the course of the nearly 22 years since Macau’s return to the motherland, the special administrative region (SAR) has been expanding – under powers delegated to it by the central government, and with the central government’s support – its external relations and international influence, the statement said.
According to the statement, the local government “will closely study and adhere to the spirit” of President Xi’s important remarks during the meeting with US President Biden, and resolutely safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, safety and development interests, “in order to make better use of the city’s unique advantages as an international city [whose special feature is the] co-existence of Chinese and Western cultures, and to play an even greater role as a springboard for opening up [the Chinese mainland] to other places.
The statement concluded that “such overall positioning also enables Macau to fulfil its own responsibilities to promote the steady and healthy development of China-US relations, and to build a community offering a shared future for mankind.”
