The Central People’s Government Liaison Office in Macau held yesterday its annual Spring Festival reception at the Forum Macao Complex in Nam Van, during which its director Zheng Xincong reaffirmed President Xi Jinping’s expectations of “grasping new opportunities, opening up new horizons of development and keeping creating new glories”, while Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai emphasised his philosophy of administration of “Endeavour, Solidarity, Persistence, Innovation”, stating that he would push forward the in-depth reform of the public administration with special focus on enhancing the effectiveness of Macau’s governance.
Yesterday’s reception was attended by more than 1,200 people, including Macau’s first chief executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah, who is now a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Foreign Ministry Commissioner in Macau Liu Xianfa, Macau’s second and third chief executives Fernando Chui Sai On and Ho Iat Seng, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Macau Garrison Commander Yu Changjiang and Political Commissar Lin Qinghua, Court of Final Appeal (TUI) President Song Man Lei and Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In, as well as senior local government officials, Executive Council members, lawmakers, foreign consuls accredited to Macau, local business and community leaders, and senior media representatives.
‘Four efforts’
On behalf of Xia Baolong, who heads both the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) and the Macau-based Liaison Office, Zheng wished Macau compatriots a Happy New Year and thanked them for supporting the work of the HKMAO and the Liaison Office for so many years.
Zheng continued his speech by pointing out that “the year of 2025 marks the beginning of the implementation of the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important speeches during his visit to Macau… Macau, after 25 years of continuous endeavour, has reached a relatively high starting point for development”. Based on Xi’s important speeches during his inspection visit to Macau on December 18-20, 2024, Zheng put forward four “efforts” for the city to “open up new horizons of development and keep creating new glories”: promoting high quality development; realising efficient governance; making valuable contributions; and maintaining the highest level of security practices.
‘Promoting high quality development’
Zheng said: “I believe that everybody will certainly make good use of the series of favourable measures by the central authorities for Macau,” by focusing on the development of the city’s appropriate economic diversification, developing new quality productivity in accordance with local conditions, fostering new leading sectors with international competitiveness, while also realising the development of key industries, involving objectives, policies, projects and results, with the views of promoting a “high degree” of economic synergy and “in-depth” convergence of rules and standards between Hengqin and Macau.
‘Realising efficient governance’
“I believe that everybody will adhere to the principle of ‘One Country’, make good use of the advantages of ‘Two Systems’, and fully implement the principle of ‘patriots governing Macau’,” Zheng said, adding he believed that Macau’s new government would adhere to the philosophy of people-orientated governance, identify the “entry points” and “breakthroughs” for improving people’s livelihoods, and continue to enhance residents’ sense of gain, happiness, and security.
‘Making valuable contributions’
Zheng also said: “I believe everybody will stand tall and see far,” jointly elevating the city to the next level of its “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure” development, expanding Macau’s role as a China-Portuguese platform, perfecting the system and mechanism for the construction of “one base” – a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist, while also developing of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) as well as the nation’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through active participation. He also encouraged all those who attended yesterday afternoon’s reception to capitalise on Macau’s advantages of high-level openness and freedom of communication to attract foreign capital and international talents, building Macau into a global hub for talent.
‘Maintaining highest level of security practices’
Zheng also quoted Xi as saying that “the situation in Macau is generally stable, but the internal and external environment is undergoing profound changes”, emphasising the need for efforts to prevent all kinds of risks and firmly safeguard the nation’s security and Macau’s stability: “I believe that everyone will pass on and promote the core values of patriotism and love for Macau, strengthen the education of young people on patriotism…and work together to maintain the peace and stability of Macau’s society”.
Sam puts emphasis on enhancing governance effectiveness
Meanwhile, Sam said in his speech that in 2025, a year full of hope and the inaugural year of Macau’s sixth-term government, based on the achievements and experience gained by the previous local governments, his administration would join hands with all walks of life to continue to strive to, among other things, advance the city’s appropriate economic diversification with “greater efforts” in enhancement of coordination as well as in reforms and innovation, while also striving for new substantive progress in the development of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
In his speech, Sam also highlighted the need to further promote public administration reform, with the emphasis on enhancing the effectiveness of the city’s governance, strengthening public servants’ awareness of the need for a holistic view, pragmatism, solidarity and cooperation, honesty and uprightness, “practically transforming Macau’s systemic advantages into the effectiveness of governance”.
Concerning people’s livelihoods, apart from emphasising the need to continue to promote patriotism and love for Macau, Sam said that he would “ensure that people’s wellbeing is a top priority for the government by making sure that basic needs are met in a harmonious society, based on justice and righteousness,” while supporting the young generation in pursuing and realising their dreams.
Sam also pledged that his government would pro-actively build Macau into a “high-level talent highland”, making concerted efforts to jointly build an “essential bridgehead” for the country’s high-level opening-up as well as an “important window” for exchanges and mutual understanding between the Chinese and Western civilisations.
Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Director Zheng Xincong (left) and Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai deliver speeches during yesterday’s Spring Festival reception at the Complex for Commercial and Trade Cooperation Platform for China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (aka Forum Macao Complex) in Nam Van. – Photos courtesy of Liaison Office
Senior central and local government, legislative and judicial representatives, as well as Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers from the local garrison offer a toast at yesterday’s Spring Festival reception in the presence of 1,200 attendees including senior local government officials, Executive Council members, lawmakers, foreign consuls accredited to Macau, local business and community leaders, and senior media representatives. – Photo: Yuki Lei
