Macao SAR gov't refutes European Parliament's report

MACAO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The government of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has expressed strong opposition to and deep regret over a so-called report passed by the European Parliament.

Regarding references to Macao in the European Parliament's so-called new EU-China strategy, the SAR government said late Thursday that since Macao's return to the motherland over 20 years ago, the principles of "one country, two systems," "Macao people administering Macao" with a high degree of autonomy have been successfully implemented.

The basic rights of Macao residents, including the right to vote, have been fully guaranteed by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Macao SAR Basic Law, said the SAR government.

The SAR government noted that the election of the seventh Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR has been carried out in an orderly manner and in strict accordance with the Macao SAR Basic Law and the Macao SAR Legislative Assembly election law, with the electoral affairs commission for the election performing its duties in accordance with the law, candidate teams campaigning in accordance with the law, and various circles of the Macao society and Macao residents actively going to the ballot.

The vote has taken place in a fair, just and clean manner, the SAR government said.

The legislative election of the Macao SAR is completely Macao's internal affairs, which no foreign institution including the European Parliament has the right to interfere in, the SAR government stressed, pledging that it would, just as always, safeguard freedom of the press and the basic rights of Macao residents in accordance with the law so as to ensure the sustained and successful implementation of "one country, two systems" with Macao characteristics.