Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the Macau University of Science and Technology on December 19, 2024 and talks with teachers, students and scientific researchers there. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday commended the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) for its achievements over the past five "extraordinary" years.

Xi made the remarks while addressing a welcome dinner held by the SAR government on the eve of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.

Against the background of accelerating global transformation not seen in a century and the once-in-a-century pandemic, the fifth-term SAR government has rallied and led the people of all sectors in Macao to rise to the challenges, made results-oriented efforts, ensured a steady economic recovery and achieved progress in all undertakings, Xi noted.

Over the past five years, Macao has made new progress in appropriate economic diversification, and reached a new level in improving people's well-being, Xi said.

Macao's political and social foundation, rooted in love for the Chinese nation and love for Macao, is more solid and stronger, and its international influence and visibility have risen significantly, he added.

The remarkable achievements are attributable to the full and faithful implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy, to the vigorous support of the central government and the mainland, and to the active involvement of the international community, Xi noted.

They are also the result of the hard work and all-out efforts of people of all sectors in Macao united under the leadership of the Macao SAR government, he added.

Macao enjoys the unique advantages of "one country, two systems" and has laid a solid foundation for development, Xi noted.

Macao should proactively align itself with national development strategies such as building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and seek to play a bigger role on the international stage, Xi said.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, is in Macao for the anniversary celebrations, the inauguration of the sixth-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), and an inspection tour of the SAR.

On Thursday, Xi also met with officials of the executive, legislative and judicial organs of Macao, met with representatives from all walks of life in Macao, met with Ho Hau Wah and Chui Sai On, former chief executives of Macao, met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR John Lee, visited the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), and visited the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, according to Xinhua. 

Xi also attended a gala marking the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland at the Macao East Asian Games Dome Thursday evening.

Integration into natl devt plan 

The Chinese central government has taken into full consideration Macao's unique position and role, encouraging it to actively integrate into the national development strategy, Lao Ngai Leong, chairman of the Association of Returned Overseas Chinese Macao, told the Global Times. 

Since its return to China in 1999, Macao has built a strong relationship with the central government and benefited immensely from the abundant resources and strategic opportunities provided under the "one country, two systems" policy, Lao said.

"Macao, with a land area of just over 20 square kilometers, urgently needed space for development." Lao recalled President Xi emphasized on many occasions that the original goal of establishing the Hengqin new area was to create conditions for the diversified development of Macao's economy, which greatly inspired him.

In 2015, the central government approved Macao's land reclamation plans and granted it administration over 85 square kilometers of surrounding waters. In 2021, an in-depth cooperation zone was established to deepen collaboration between Macao and Guangdong Province. This zone, located on Hengqin Island, spans more than three times the land area of Macao, implementing a new management system of "joint consultation, joint management, and shared benefits," expanding Macao's development space to 224.76 square kilometers.

Hengqin, located at the southern tip of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province, is separated from Macao by a narrow stretch of water.

The Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, once a desolate stretch of land, as Luo Weijian, a law professor at the University of Macao, recounted, has now been transformed into a bustling epicenter of academia with the establishment of the Hengqin campus of University of Macao. 

Luo noted that geographically, the University of Macao is not located in Macao but in the Hengqin new area of Zhuhai, across the sea from Macao, and administered by the Macao Special Administrative Region. However, he noted that both mainland and Macao people, never consciously differentiate between Hengqin or Macao because they all live within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

The Hengqin line of the Light Rapid Transit (LRT), linking the Lotus Station in the Macao Special Administrative Region to Hengqin Station in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, has turned the "one-hour living circle" concept of the GBA from a mere aspiration into a tangible reality.

"Different social systems and administrative divisions have, under the principle of 'mutual promotion and mutual benefit' between Macao and Guangdong, been transformed into a "unified chessboard" development model in Hengqin, even in GBA," Luo noted.

As of September 2024, the cooperation zone has attracted 6,461 Macao enterprises and 16,539 Macao residents to move in. The deeply-integrated development between Guangdong and Macao is becoming a reality.

Economic diversification 

On Thursday morning, Xi visited the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), where he was briefed on the development of two state-level key laboratories in the university - one on the quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the other on lunar and planetary science.

Hailing TCM as the gem of the Chinese civilization, Xi urged efforts to well inherit, develop and utilize it, and promote it to the rest of the world.

Talking about China's achievements in lunar exploration, he said Macao has proven to be capable of conducting cutting-edge world-class scientific research.

"In recent years, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry in Macao has gradually became a new highlight for the moderate diversification of the economy. The Macao SAR government also considers it a new industry to be cultivated," Li Shaoping, deputy director of State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines at the University of Macao, told the Global Times. 

Li pointed out that the development of TCM in Macao aligns with the needs of local social development. As a typical micro economy, promoting moderate economic diversification is an important cornerstone and strategic choice for maintaining long-term prosperity and stability.

"After Macao's return to the motherland, the SAR government has attached great importance to the development of the TCM industry, laying a solid foundation for the moderate diversification of Macao's economy. However, it still requires further concentration of efforts, focusing on national needs, and actively integrating into the national development," Li said.

In the past, Macao's economy, supported by the tourism and gaming industry, was impacted by the global financial crisis and the pandemic, highlighting the issues in its economic structure. How to achieve a "diverse" economic development has always been a test for Macao's people and the SAR government.

On November 1, 2023, the "Development Plan for Appropriate Economic Diversification of the Macao Special Administrative Region (2024-2028)" was announced. This is Macao's first comprehensive and systematic industrial development plan, proposing the "1+4" development strategy. The "1+4" appropriate diversification development strategy aims to enrich Macao's function as "One Centre" for integrated tourism and leisure, while facilitating the development of four nascent industries, namely: the "Big Health" industry; modern financial services; high and new technology; and convention and exhibition, sports, and the commercial and trade industries.

From building in-depth cooperation zone to the accelerated construction of the GBA, Macao continues to actively participate in the national broader regional coordinated development strategy, striving to play a more important role on a larger stage, Lao said.