December 20, 2024 statement in Beijing by
Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the CPC Central Committee
Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council
From December 18 to 20, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, president of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), visited Macao to attend the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Macao 's return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the sixth government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, and inspected the Macao Special Administrative Region. In three days, President Xi Jinping attended 18 events thoroughly, had extensive contacts and in-depth exchanges with people from all walks of life, and delivered a series of important speeches. This fully reflects President Xi Jinping's high recognition of Macao 's good development situation, his deep concern for Macao residents to live a happy life, and his careful guidance for Macao to create a better future. President Xi Jinping's visit made all walks of life in Macao feel warm and encouraged, and aroused great attention and an enthusiastic response from the international community. It was another leading example of the practice of "One Country, Two systems" with Macao characteristics.
1. President Xi Jinping highly affirmed the achievements of Macao's construction, and further encouraged Macao society to adhere to the correct development path.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that in the 25 years since Macao's return to the motherland, with the strong support of the central government and the motherland, the Special Administrative Region Government has united and led all sectors of society to continue to spare no effort, and the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" with Macao characteristics has achieved great success. Macao has undergone earth-shaking changes and its international influence has been greatly enhanced. President Xi Jinping made a brilliant summary of the extraordinary achievements made in Macao's construction in all aspects, evoking people's vivid memories of the solid footprints of Macao's development and progress with the motherland:
In terms of promoting economic development, from 1999 to 2023, Macao's GDP increased from 51.9 billion patacas to 379.5 billion patacas, per capita GDP increased from US$15,000 to US$69,000, inbound tourists increased from 7.74 million to 28.213 million, and fiscal reserves increased from 13 billion patacas to more than 600 billion patacas, creating a leapfrog development known as the "Haojiang Miracle"*. The SAR government has formulated and implemented the region’s first appropriate economic diversification development plan, determined the "1+4" industrial development direction, and the proportion of non-gaming industries in Macao's GDP has increased significantly.
In terms of promoting people's well-being, Macao has implemented a two-tier social security system. Macao residents only need to contribute 90 patacas per month, and can receive a maximum monthly pension of 3,790 patacas after retirement. Macao implements 15 years of free education. In the 2022 "Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)" test, the overall performance of 15-year-old students in Macao ranked second in the world. Macao has achieved universal coverage of medical benefits, and its primary health care system has been rated as a "Pacific model" by the World Health Organization. The average life expectancy of Macao residents has increased from 77.9 years in 1999 to 83.1 years in 2023.
In terms of improving the governance system, all sectors of Macao bear in mind that safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests is the highest principle of the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, firmly ensuring the constitutional order of the Special Administrative Region. In 2009, Macao completed the local legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law and formulated and implemented the "Law on Safeguarding National Security". Later, it made systematic revisions in line with the development of the situation and continued to promote supporting legislation. Macao also completed the revision of the Chief Executive Election Law and the Legislative Assembly Election Law in a timely manner, and successfully held the seventh Legislative Assembly elections and the sixth Chief Executive election in 2021 and 2024, fully and thoroughly implementing the principle of "patriots governing Macao".
In terms of expanding its international influence, the Historic Center of Macao was included in the World Cultural Heritage List, and Macao was named "Creative City of Gastronomyu", "Culture City of East Asia", "Best Convention City (Asia)" and "Best Business City for Meetings". Macao's exchanges and cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries are becoming increasingly close. It has held six consecutive ministerial meetings of the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum (Macao), and the number of Portuguese-speaking countries that have established friendly city or sister city ties with Macao has increased to 7.
Remarkable achievements are worth being proud of. Everyone said that President Xi Jinping's encouragements made Macao society more confident in taking the right path of development and being more determined to govern, build and develop Macao well.
2. President Xi Jinping cares deeply about the well-being of Macao residents and further inspires Macao society to carry forward the glorious tradition of loving the country and Macao and to gather forces to build a beautiful home
As soon as President Xi Jinping arrived in Macao and got off the plane, he told reporters that Macao is the motherland’s “pearl in the palm” and that he has always been thinking about the development here and the well-being of all Macao residents. During his stay in Macao, President Xi Jinping held cordial meetings with representatives from all walks of life, visited the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone, and learned in detail about Macao's higher education, the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (University of Macau), the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Science (SKLPlanets), and the interim results of Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation in recent years. He also had in-depth exchanges with university teachers and students, scientific researchers, young entrepreneurs, Macao residents working and living in Hengqin, and personnel involved in the planning, construction, management of and services at the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone. People gathered around President Xi Jinping and expressed their sincere feelings to him. "People's love" and "leader's love" blend like water and milk, like spring breeze and rain. This reminds people of President Xi Jinping's concern for the well-being of Macao residents over the years:
In December 2014, at the Seac Pai Van public housing estate in Coloane, President Xi Jinping visited the family homes of a company clerk and a logistics worker; at the Hengqin new campus of the University of Macau , President Xi Jinping participated in a meeting with young students on the theme of "Traditional Chinese Culture and Contemporary Youth". In December 2019, at the Areia Preta Government Integrated Service Center, President Xi Jinping asked in detail about the SAR Government's efforts to achieve streamlined social governance and efficient public services through the integration of administrative resources and the use of scientific and technological means; at a local school President Xi Jinping watched the children's technological innovation activities and observed an open class on Chinese history. President Xi Jinping wrote back to the elderly volunteer group of a center of the General Union of Neighborhood Associations twice, which made the elderly in Macao deeply grateful. President Xi Jinping also wrote back to the teachers and students of a middle school and the Macau University of Science and Technology, encouraging them to grow and become talents.
President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that the vast majority of Macao compatriots have a patriotic tradition and a strong sense of national identity, belonging and national pride, which is the most important reason for the successful practice of "One Country, Two Systems" in Macao. In his reply to an elderly volunteer group President Xi Jinping said he hopes that senior citizens will tell young people more stories about the before and after Macao’s return to the motherland, so that the young people can understand the hard-won path of the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" and encourage the young people of Macao to inherit the spirit of patriotism and love for Macao; at the meeting with students of the University of Macau , he encouraged young students to vigorously promote the spirit of patriotism, inherit the tradition of patriotism and love for Macao, and consciously enhance the historical sense of responsibility for promoting the cause of "One Country, Two Systems"; in his reply to the students of a local school, he encouraged the children to inherit the fine tradition of patriotism and love for Macao, cherish time, study hard, grow up healthily, and make more contributions to the construction of Macao and the revitalization of China when they grow up.
People from all walks of life in Macao have expressed their gratitude for the deep affection of President Xi Jinping, and will definitely cherish today's good situation, continuously consolidate the foundation of patriotism and love for Macao, and work together to create a better tomorrow for Macao.
3. President Xi Jinping carefully guides the long-term development of Macao, further motivating Macao society to establish higher and further ambitions and to rejuvenate the spirit of innovation, creation and efforts.
The series of important speeches delivered by President Xi Jinping during this visit, standing at the important historical node of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, deeply summarize the practical experience of "One Country, Two Systems", comprehensively outline the long-term development blueprint of Hong Kong and Macao, and inject strong impetus into the continuous promotion of the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" with Macao characteristics in the new era and new journey.
——Provide a fundamental guideline for the comprehensive, accurate and unswerving implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" policy. President Xi Jinping pointed out that "One Country, Two Systems" has significant institutional advantages and strong vitality. It is a good system to maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao, a good system to serve the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, and a good system to achieve peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation among different social systems. It must be adhered to for a long time. The values and concepts of peace, tolerance, openness and sharing contained in "One Country, Two Systems" belong to China and the world, and are worth guarding together. President Xi Jinping stressed that achieving better development in Hong Kong and Macao and making greater contributions to building a strong country and national rejuvenation are important missions of the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" in the new era. We must adhere to the foundation of "One Country" and make good use of the advantages of "Two Systems", maintain high-level security and promote high-quality development, give play to unique advantages, strengthen internal and external connections, and promote core values and promote inclusiveness and harmony. These important expositions are original new ideas, new thoughts and new strategies for governing Hong Kong and Macao formed by President Xi Jinping in the magnificent process of leading the cause of "One Country, Two Systems" to achieve historic achievements and undergo historic changes. Its rich and profound connotations fully reflect the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which insists on the supremacy of the people, self-confidence and self-reliance, adherence to the right path and innovation, problem-oriented, systematic concept, and the world-mindedness, as well as the standpoints, views and methods that run through it, which will elevate the understanding of the regularity of "One Country, Two Systems" to a new historical height and ensure that "One Country, Two Systems" will not change, waver, distort or deform, and always move forward in the right direction.
- Establish a beautiful vision for Macao to achieve a new leap and create new glory. President Xi Jinping pointed out that Macao has the unique advantage of "One Country, Two Systems" and has laid a solid foundation for development. Riding on the strong east wind of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, it is fully qualified and capable of flying higher, going further and achieving better development. President Xi Jinping expects Macao to look far ahead, actively connect with national development strategies such as the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and show greater achievements on the international stage; to be more open and inclusive under the banner of loving the country and Macao, unite and gather strength, recruit talents from all over the world, and build a better Macao; to be enterprising, show greater courage, be brave to change and innovate, better use the advantages of the "one country, two systems" system, and create a new situation for Macao's development. A beautiful vision calls for hard work and progress. Macao will continue to give full play to the greatest institutional advantages of "One Country, Two Systems", the advantages of sufficient development space, the advantages of a highly internationalized business environment, the advantages of a strong economic foundation, the advantages of a blend of Chinese and Western cultures, and the advantages of traditional sentiments of patriotism and love for Macao. It will certainly live up to President Xi Jinping's expectations, make Macao's international "golden business card" shine brighter, and continue to write a colorful chapter of the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" with Macao characteristics.
- Point out the direction and path for the new SAR government to lead the society to reform and accelerate development. President Xi Jinping put forward four hopes for the new SAR government: focus on promoting moderate and diversified economic development, focus on improving the governance efficiency of the Special Administrative Region, focus on creating a higher level of opening-up platform, and focus on maintaining social harmony and stability. President Xi Jinping emphasized that Macao's economy must take the path of appropriately diversified development to achieve comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development. In the more than three years since the establishment of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone, which was personally planned, deployed and promoted by President Xi Jinping, the "joint consultation, joint construction, joint management and sharing" system has been increasingly improved, policy measures have been implemented one after another, the closure of the border has been running smoothly, and the integration of Hengqin and Macao has been accelerated, providing solid support for the moderate and diversified development of Macao's economy. President Xi Jinping also pointed out that Macao should combine its own advantages and resource endowments, accurately position itself, focus on key points, promote the development of characteristic industries to form scale, and create a number of iconic and driving projects. At the same time, President Xi Jinping pointed out the key links for improving the governance efficiency of the SAR, emphasizing the need to combine law-based governance with responsibility, improve various systems and mechanisms and laws and regulations, deepen public administration reform, and build an efficient and effective service-oriented government; pointed out key areas for Macao to build a higher-level opening-up platform, emphasizing the need to continuously optimize the business environment, improve civil and commercial legal systems, cultivate and stimulate market vitality, and attract more international resources; pointed out effective ways for Macao to maintain social harmony and stability, emphasizing the need to promote the benign interaction between government governance, social regulation, and citizen participation, guide and regulate the development of associations, and lay a solid foundation for grassroots governance.
Touching scenes, affectionate words, and earnest teachings stirred up the vast tide of the Haojiang River. We firmly believe that with President Xi Jinping at the helm, with the strong support of the central government and the mainland, and with the united efforts of the Macao SAR Government and all sectors of society, the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" with Macao characteristics will surely be able to move forward steadily, and Macao will surely be able to play a greater role and make greater contributions in promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization!
Source: Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the CPC Central Committee, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council
*Haojiang is Macao’s ancient name
N.B. Translation of this slightly abridged text arranged by The Macau Post Daily
