President Xi Jinping met with outgoing Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng yesterday, acknowledging his determination to tackle challenges and the achievements he has made during his five-year term including his government’s victory in its battle against the three-year COVID-19 pandemic, which the president described as “no easy task”, Xinhua reported yesterday.
The meeting was held at the San Chok Un Guesthouse (“New Bamboo Mansion”) on Penha Hill yesterday afternoon, after Xi’s arrival in Macau for a three-day inspection visit.
According to the Xinhua report, Xi also said he hopes that Ho will support Macau’s new chief executive in his governance in accordance with the law.
Ho will be succeeded by Sam Hou Fai tomorrow who alongside his principal officials and chief public prosecutor will then be sworn in by Xi.
Sam will become the Macau Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) sixth-term and fourth chief executive on Friday, the 25th Anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland.
During yesterday’s meeting, according to Xinhua, Xi noted that Ho has risen to challenges in a pragmatic and productive manner during his five-year term as chief executive, saying that “this was no easy task, yet you have achieved high accomplishments”.
Xi said that Ho has led the MSAR government to unite all sectors of Macau’s civil society in comprehensively, accurately and unwaveringly implementing the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, resolutely safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests, overcoming the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and pushing ahead with its plan to appropriately diversify the city’s economy.
According to the report, the president praised Ho and his government for having made new progress in various undertakings in Macau, which he said has consolidated Macau’s favourable situation of prosperity and stability, telling Ho that “the central authorities fully acknowledge the work of you and the current SAR government”.
Xi also said he hopes that Ho will actively support the new chief executive and his team to administer the city in accordance with the law, as well as continuing to contribute to the cause of “One Country, Two Systems” and the development of Macau and the nation.
During the meeting, according to Xinhua, Ho, on behalf of the MSAR government and Macau residents, warmly welcomed President Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to Macau where they will attend a gathering celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the sixth-term MSAR government.
Ho said that he is sincerely grateful to Xi and the central government for trusting in and supporting him.
Ho said that with the strong support of the central authorities, over the past five years the MSAR government has united and led all sectors of Macau’s civil society to tackle the impact of the three-year COVID-19 pandemic and to make new progress in various undertakings in Macau.
According to the report, Ho pledged to support the new-term MSAR government in exercising law-based governance as well as continuing to make his own contributions to the development of Macau and the nation.
President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng during a meeting at the San Chok Un Guesthouse on Penha Hill yesterday. – Photo: Xinhua
