"Patriots administering Macao" principle ensures steady, sustained development of "one country, two systems" in Macao

MACAO, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- "Patriots administering Macao," a core principle of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), will ensure the steady and sustained development of "one country, two systems" in Macao.

Thanks to the efforts by the Macao SAR government and the Macao society, love for the country and for Macao has blossomed among the public this year. The election of the seventh Legislative Assembly ensured that the governance of the Macao SAR was held firmly in the hands of patriots.

The principle was also inscribed in the SAR government's policy address for 2022, which was delivered in November, and the SAR's second five-year plan (2021-2025) unveiled in the middle of December.

Since Macao returned to the motherland in 1999, high importance has always been attached to carrying forward the tradition of patriotism. This year, in particular, a series of such events were organized marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

He Cheng, principal of Kao Yip Middle School in Macao, said the school has organized a number of educational events for students to learn more about the development of the country and the Macao SAR so as to increase their sense of national identity.

The school also opened courses related to diplomacy. "We hope they can learn to look at the rapidly changing world from a Chinese perspective," He said. "It's more important that a patriot is also competent in independent thinking."

The election for the seventh Legislative Assembly that took place in September was a major event in the "patriots administering Macao" principle.

The electoral affairs commission performed its duties in accordance with the law to examine the qualifications of candidates and disqualified those found unqualified, to ensure that only patriots were allowed, safeguarding the constitutional order of Macao as stipulated by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law of the Macao SAR.

Sheng Li, associate dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Macao, said administering Macao by patriots is part of the "one country, two systems" practices. "Upholding the constitution and the Basic Law is what a patriot should do. Therefore, excluding those who do not uphold the laws from the SAR's governance structure is both reasonable and in accordance with the law."

It was the first time that the "patriots administering Macao" principle was implemented in the legislative elections of the SAR, providing strong legal guarantee for the long-term prosperity and stability of Macao, said Ip Kuai Peng, pro-rector of the City University of Macao.

Among the newly elected 33 legislators, 10 were new faces. Most of the elected teams of legislators campaigned with practical proposals representing the appeals of voters. During the past two months, the newly elected legislators have met for work on a regular basis and in a smooth manner.

In November, the sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued a communique, affirming that the CPC Central Committee has resolutely implemented the principle that Hong Kong and Macao should be administered by patriots, which laid a solid foundation for advancing law-based governance in Hong Kong and Macao and for ensuring steady and sustained development of "one country, two systems."

Sheng believed that inscribing the principle of "patriots administering Macao" in the Party's document demonstrates the resolution of the CPC Central Committee in fully strengthening governance of Macao.

Also in November, Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao SAR, said in the policy address for the fiscal year 2022 that the SAR government would fully perform the constitutional obligations of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, consolidate the sound situation of "patriots administering Macao," and further improve the legal and systemic guarantee for the principle.

The SAR's second five-year plan also states that the government will formulate positive and negative lists for swearing allegiance to the SAR and qualification mechanisms to regulate the way legislators perform their duties.

"Improving the election system will have a far-reaching impact on the political situation in Macao," said Lok Wai Kin, professor of law at the University of Macao, proposing higher standards and requirements in the governance structure and enhanced training for civil servants.