Foreign Ministry Commissioner Liu Xianfa yesterday briefed representatives of the member states of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao), consuls-general, representatives of the Macau European Chamber of Commerce, the directors and other senior journalists of Macau’s Portuguese- and English-language media, among others, at the Commissioner’s Office in Zape about the seven-day 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which ended last Saturday.
Liu gave a detailed presentation in English that lasted an hour and a half. It was followed by an informal “high tea” gathering in the lobby where the participants exchanged views on a range of topics.
Liu’s briefing focused on the report presented by General Secretary Xi Jinping on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee. The 20th National Congress unanimously approved the report last Saturday.
Among the main points highlighted by Commissioner Liu were the Party’s determination to steadily expand institutional opening-up with regard to rules, regulations, management and standards; innovation will remain at the heart of the nation’s modernisation drive, and an open and globally competitive innovation ecosystem will be created; whole-process people’s democracy is the defining feature of socialist democracy – it is democracy in its broadest, most genuine, and most effective form; national security is the bedrock of national rejuvenation, and social stability is a prerequisite for building a strong and prosperous China; China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism and stands firmly against all forms of hegemonism and power politics, the Cold War mentality, interference in other countries’ internal affairs, and double standards.
One Country, Two Systems – best institutional arrangement for HK & Macau
Liu, an engineer by profession, also underlined the importance given by the report to the One Country, Two Systems principle. He quoted the report approved by the Party’s 20th National Congress as stating One Country, Two Systems is a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics. According to the report, the One Country, Two Systems policy has proven to be the best institutional arrangement for ensuring sustained prosperity and stability in the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions after their return to the motherland on July1, 1997 and December 20, 1999 respectively. “This policy must be adhered to over the long term,” the report states.
Liu also quoted the report as saying that the authorities “will crack down hard on anti-China elements who attempt to create chaos in Hong Kong and Macau. We will take resolute action to prevent and stop interference in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macau by external forces.”
Links to the full text of the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC in English translation (24,911 words) are available on our website: https://www.macaupostdaily.com/article15859.html.
Commissioner Liu Xianfa briefs Macau-based diplomats, journalists, foreign businesspeople and others on the 20th National Congress of the Communist Part of China (CPC) at the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) in Zape yesterday afternoon. – Photo: Staff Reporter
