Macau CE Sam Hou Fai’s Chinese New Year Message for the Year of the Snake
Composing a glorious chapter - Striving for a vibrant future
Dear fellow Macau residents, friends,
Happy New Year!
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, we are ready to embrace our blessings and fortune of the new year. On this joyous occasion when our families gather together to ring out the old and ring in the new, on behalf of the government of the Macau Special Administrative Region, I would like to extend my heartfelt Chinese New Year greetings to all fellow residents and friends who support and attach great importance to the development of Macau. I wish everyone health, happiness and prosperity! May the Year of the Snake bring us wisdom and strength. May we create a better future for Macau together!
“One can tell the inside of an object by observing its outside; likewise, having observed the past, we can predict the future”. As we look back at the Year of the Dragon, remarkable stories have been staged and precious memories have been made here in the land of the lotus: President Xi Jinping attended the celebration events and the inauguration ceremony of the Macau Special Administrative Region’s new-term government, and he delivered important speeches to mark 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland and the preferential policies for Macau rolled out by the Central People’s Government, as well as the gradual economic recovery achieved with the concerted efforts made by different sectors across the city, overall stability and harmony maintained in civil society. As the people of Macau celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, we are proud of the great achievements of our motherland and we have further strengthened our sense of national identity. The Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has been established for three years and new achievements have been attained for the integration of Macau and Hengqin; the charm of this new “home” is glowing.
According to Chinese culture, the snake symbolises wisdom, sensitivity, flexibility, and auspiciousness. There may be all kinds of uncertainties on our path to the future and rapid changes may take place in the international landscape; however, our motherland will always be our staunch supporter. The “One Country, Two Systems” principle will always be our institutional advantage, and the solidarity and cooperation of people from all walks of life will always be the greatest confidence for us to forge ahead in unity. With our creative and innovative thinking and our willingness to reform in order to cope with changes, we will seize all opportunities and pave our way for the future.
Standing at this new historical starting point, we take up this new mission. This new year also marks the first year of the inauguration of the Macau Special Administrative Region’s sixth-term government; we will continue to strengthen the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and uphold national security with a greater sense of responsibility. We will strive to enhance our governance and management capacity, stay committed to building a service-oriented government with diligence, integrity, high-efficiency and impartiality. We will proactively promote economic diversification, bolster the development of Macau as a world center of tourism and leisure, and create better development and employment opportunities for the people of Macau. We will exercise people-centered governance to ensure and improve people’s wellbeing and pragmatically solve people’s real-life problems. We are determined to build a harmonious, diversified and inclusive society for all ethnic groups. We will continue to consolidate our role as “One Base” and strengthen the building of “One Platform”, create a high-quality open platform and proactively involve ourselves in the integration of the country’s development paradigm. In the construction of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, we will strictly implement President Xi’s important directives. We will always bear in mind that the original intention to develop Hengqin is for the benefit of Macau’s appropriate economic diversification, and we will continue to focus on the “Three Criteria” as we evaluate the development results of the In-depth Cooperation Zone. We will strive for better achievements in the implementation of innovative policies and integration of regulations, bolster advancements in the development of industries and building of foundations, and expedite a new stage of Macau-Hengqin integration in the areas of systems, mechanisms, policies and others.
Dear fellow residents, friends,
The development of Macau is inevitably linked to the collective efforts and contributions made by each and every citizen. In the Year of the Snake, let us join hands and forge ahead with solidarity; let us contribute our wisdom and strength for the development of Macau. I believe that under the strong leadership of the Central People’s Government, the staunch support of our motherland, and the concerted efforts from sectors across society and people from all walks of life, Macau will surge to new heights and compose a new chapter in the Year of the Snake!
As the new year bell rings, I wish our motherland auspiciousness and prosperity, and I wish Macau stability and harmony. May all households in Macau be filled with peace, health and happiness. To all civil servants and all those who remain dedicated to serving the community during the Chinese New Year festival and their families, please accept my heartfelt respect and appreciation!
I wish everyone a rewarding and joyous new year!
Thank you!
Speech released by the Office of the Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) on Chinese New Year's Eve, January 28, 2025
N.B. Full text of the speech edited by The Macau Post Daily in line with its house style
Caption: Macau SAR Chief wishes his fellow residents a Happy Chinese New Year of the Year. - Photo: GCS
