Canadian special envoy Raymond Chan said Friday that his country welcomes the return of Macao to China.

"Canada welcomes this historic event," said the Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific affairs, who will represent Canada at the upcoming handover ceremony in Macao.

"As Macao now joins Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, I wish to reiterate our intention to maintain close relations with its people," the envoy said in a statement.

He also expressed confidence that the "one country, two systems "model for Macao will ensure "a stable transition" and "continued economic and social progress in Macao."

Chan will join representatives from other countries on December 19 and 20 at a series of handover events in the presence of Chinese and Portuguese leaders.

Some 2,000 Canadian citizens reside in Macao, according to the Canadian government.