The moving melody of “Song of the Seven Sons” sounded again, as Friday marked the full 25 years since the return of Macao to the motherland. A grand celebration and inaugural ceremony for the sixth-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region were held on Friday morning at the Macao East Asian Games Dome. President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the celebration and the ceremony and delivered a speech.
In the 25 years since its return to the motherland, Macao has achieved social harmony and stability and rapid economic development in accordance with the great concept of One Country, Two Systems, vividly demonstrating to the world the significant institutional advantages and strong vitality of One Country, Two Systems.
In the past 25 years, Macao has become “bigger” in every sense. The land area has expanded from 21.45 square kilometers in 1999 to 33.3 square kilometers today. Per capita GDP has more than quadrupled from $15,000 to $69,000, and continues to grow. In 2023, the proportion of Macao’s gambling industry to its GDP decreased by 14 percent compared to 2019. The moderate diversification of the economy has begun to bear fruit. The total number of entries and exits at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port and the Hengqin Port in 2024 have both exceeded 20 million. A new model of development between Hengqin and Macao featuring “Macao platform + international resources + Hengqin space + achievement sharing” has gradually taken shape. Macao’s relationship with the mainland and the world is closer, with its vision and opportunities becoming greater.
The important reason for the stable and long-term development of One Country, Two Systems in Macao is that all sectors of society highly recognize One Country, Two Systems, firmly safeguard the legal order constituted by the Constitution and the Basic Law, and implement “patriots governing Macao.” “Love the country, love Macao” has become mainstream social values. With the gathering of positive forces at home and abroad, the support for One Country, Two Systems has become wider.
A recent survey shows that 92.2 percent of the respondents believe that the practice of One Country, Two Systems in Macao has been successful, and 93.9 percent of the respondents are confident in Macao’s implementation of One Country, Two Systems and “Macao people governing Macao.” The mutual integration of the mainland and Macao shows the vitality and unique charm.
Xi stressed in Macao on Friday that developments in Hong Kong and Macao since their return to the motherland tell us that to sustain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao and further advance the cause of One Country, Two Systems, it is imperative to observe the following four principles: first, we should stay committed to the fundamental policy of One Country and fully deliver the benefits of Two Systems. We should place our country’s sovereignty, security and development interests above everything else; we should implement the overall jurisdiction of the Central Authorities; and we should not deviate from this commitment under any circumstances. At the same time, we should respect the differences between the two systems, fully ensure a high degree of autonomy of the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and continue to fully, faithfully and resolutely implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems, under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy. These four points are exactly the experience of One Country, Two Systems in achieving success in Macao, and also point out the direction for continuously creating a new situation for the high-quality development of the One Country, Two Systems.
Macao’s rapid development in a relatively stable and relaxed environment can be attributed to the unwavering commitment of the SAR government to safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as the full guarantee of Macao’s high degree of autonomy.
While preserving its unique systems and way of life, Macao also benefits from the mainland’s unique advantages of the super-sized market, a comprehensive industrial system, robust infrastructure, and institutional and talent strengths.
This unified yet diverse institutional arrangement has laid a solid foundation for Macao’s long-term prosperity and stability. The successful implementation of the One Country, Two Systems policy in Macao fully demonstrates the advantage of the Chinese system and provides a valuable example for China’s path to modernization.
There is no doubt that Macao’s development has been and will continue to be closely intertwined with the great historical process of Chinese modernization, which also represents an important mission in the new era of practicing One Country, Two Systems.
With its “golden name card” as an international metropolis, Macao will further promote China’s overall opening-up and internationalization. It will fully leverage its unique advantages as a free port for international trade, a separate customs territory, and a “precise intermediary” for cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. In contributing to China’s modernization, Macao is poised to achieve a remarkable transformation of its own.
Macao, a pearl set along the southern coast of China, shines brightly under the practice of One Country, Two Systems. In Macao, One Country, Two Systems has gone from being an institutional arrangement to becoming the cornerstone and source of economic development, improvement of people’s livelihood and social stability.
This is also the reason why the practice of One Country, Two Systems with Macao’s characteristics has been highly praised by the international community and has become a recognized model.
Looking ahead, as long as Macao follows the right path, implements sound policies, and fosters unity, it will undoubtedly resonate with Chinese modernization. Hand in hand with the Greater Bay Area and connected to the world, Macao will surely write a more glorious new chapter of One Country, Two Systems and play a more prominent role in the process of Chinese modernization.
GT
