Statement by the Office of the State Council for Hong Kong and Macau Affairs
Today [October 13], the sixth chief executive election of the Macau Special Administrative Region was successfully held, with Sam Hou Fai elected by a significant majority. We extend our congratulations on this occasion. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Macau ‘s return to the motherland, the successful outcome of this important election fully reflects Macau society’s heartfelt support for the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and its firm confidence in the achievements and development path over the past 25 years of the special administrative region. It also demonstrates the broad recognition of Sam Ho Fai’s character, vision, capabilities, and style, as well as the community’s earnest expectations for Macau to reach new heights and achieve new developments under the leadership of the new chief executive. The process and results of the election further foster a consensus within Macau society for “joint progress” and gather collective strength for “positive reform.” This is of great significance for fully implementing the principle of “patriots governing Macau “ and continuously advancing the successful practice of “One Country, Two Systems” with Macau characteristics.
Since announcing his candidacy on August 28, Sam Ho Fai has actively engaged in campaign activities, deepening interactions and exchanges with various sectors of society. Macau’s media has closely followed the election, providing extensive coverage and commentary. The public has responded enthusiastically, actively participating in election activities and expressing their opinions and suggestions. From this, we can clearly see that the recognition, support, and hopes of Macau’s society for Sam Ho Fai focus mainly on six aspects:
1. Patriotism and Dedication: People have noted Sam Ho Fai’s long-term public service to Macau, particularly his nearly 25 years as the president of the Court of Final Appeal of the Macau Special Administrative Region, contributing significantly to the accurate implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy and the Basic Law of Macau. Many have pointed out that Sam Ho Fai, a long-time Macau resident, has gained widespread respect and trust from the people of Macau. In his candidacy declaration, he said that his fundamental motivation for running stemmed from the call of the times to comprehensively and accurately uphold the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, safeguard Macau ’s long-term prosperity and stability, and show a strong commitment to creating a better future for Macau. To deeply communicate his campaign concept and widely gather public opinion, he and his campaign team held over 100 events in more than 40 days. Macau’s society has praised his dedication to serving Macau and the country, demonstrating a deep sense of responsibility and commitment.
2. Unity and Collaboration: People have noticed that Sam Hou Fai has consistently prioritized unity, repeatedly stating the need to build consensus across society, unite various forces, and work together for development. He has explicitly proposed to improve mechanisms for public, expert, and patriotic community feedback, ensuring that opinions from all sectors and levels of society are heard, thus refining the processes of policy formulation, decision-making, and implementation. During his campaign, he actively reached out to various sectors, engaging with everyone from election committee members to grassroots communities, traditional industry associations to innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, and youth and women’s organizations to think tanks and charitable groups. Many commentators have noted that Sam Hou Fai has shown a willingness to unite society and build an effective communication bridge between the government and the public.
3. Focus on Development and Pragmatism: People have noted that development is the core theme of Sam Hou Fai’s campaign. In his manifesto, he clearly presented four major visions: “Rule of Law in Macau”, “Vibrant Macau”, “Cultural Macau”, and “Happy Macau”, and systematically proposed governance ideas covering key areas such as public governance, economic development, talent cultivation, improvement of people’s livelihoods, and integration into the national development framework. He emphasized that appropriate economic diversification is crucial for Macau ’s long-term prosperity and stability and the interests of its citizens, making it an urgent issue that must be addressed. He actively guided discussions with various sectors to deepen understanding and clarify directions and priorities, proposing a series of feasible policy ideas and measures. Macau’s society, including individuals from the gaming, finance, and trade sectors, has highly evaluated his clear vision for promoting Macau ‘s development, facing challenges head-on, and aligning with national development strategies.
4. People-Centric and Focused on Livelihoods: People have noted Sam Hou Fai’s deep commitment to serving the public. He has made it clear that vigorously safeguarding and improving livelihoods while continuously enhancing living standards is an inevitable requirement of the fundamental purpose of “One Country, Two Systems” and the starting point of government policy. He has proposed concrete governance ideas to improve the system for safeguarding and enhancing livelihoods, address practical issues for citizens, and ensure that the public can better share in the economic benefits. In public forums and Q&A sessions, he engaged in in-depth discussions on hot-button issues such as supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, promoting old building renovations, alleviating healthcare conflicts, and encouraging childbirth. He has also visited various grassroots communities to better understand public sentiment. Many residents have reported that Sam Hou Fai is “diligent in the community” and “close to the people,” likening him to a friend in conversation, believing he will prioritize public welfare in his governance.
5. Commitment to National Security and Stability: People have noted that Sam Hou Fai has been diligent in his role as chief judge, leading the judiciary to perform its duties effectively and repeatedly emphasizing the need to safeguard national security and social stability while protecting residents’ legitimate rights and interests. He has personally handled several major cases, firmly defending national security, the constitutional order of the Special Administrative Region, and social fairness and justice. During his campaign, he insisted that upholding national sovereignty, security, and development interests is the highest principle of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, making the maintenance of national security and social stability a major focus of future governance. He has explicitly stated the need to firmly implement the principle of “patriots governing Macau”, establish a sound legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the Special Administrative Region, and resolutely combat forces that disrupt Macau or interfere with its affairs. Macau’s society firmly believes that Sam Hou Fai will steadfastly safeguard the overall interests of the country and the fundamental interests of Macau, leading the Special Administrative Region to better coordinate development and security and ensure the steady progress of “One Country, Two Systems.”
6. Innovative and Bold Breakthroughs: People have noted that Sam Hou Fai clearly stated his intent to deepen reforms and create new progress when announcing his candidacy. He has proposed solidly advancing government reforms, promoting scientific decision-making, precision in social governance, and efficiency in public services; innovating and seeking advancement to build a higher governance level, better industrial structure, stronger economic resilience, and greater innovative vitality; and creating conditions to support small and medium-sized enterprises in enhancing competitiveness. He aims to adapt to changes actively with innovative thinking and a proactive spirit, advancing the construction of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone [in Hengqin] to new heights and vigorously promoting urban renewal. Macau’s society has positively responded, believing that Sam Hou Fai deeply understands and implements the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), proactively identifying changes and demonstrating the will to seize opportunities and push for reform.
In summary, these six aspects not only reflect Macau society’s recognition of Sam Hou Fai but also express the community’s eager expectations for new developments in this new stage. We believe that with the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping and the full support of the motherland, and building on the solid foundation laid by previous chief executives and Macau Special Administrative Region governments, the new chief executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region will surely meet the high expectations of the people, unite and lead Macau’s society to gather strength, innovate vigorously, and create an even better future for Macau , making new and greater contributions to the comprehensive advancement of national construction and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through modernization!
N.B. Translation arranged by The Macau Post Daily
