Macao SAR chief executive vows to focus on economic recovery, diversification in Year of Rabbit

MACAO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Ho Iat Seng said on Saturday the SAR government will focus on expediting economic recovery and diversification in the Year of the Rabbit.

In his message for the Chinese New Year, which falls on Sunday, Ho said the Macao SAR government would confidently persist in implementing a sound and stable governance system for Macao in the coming year, firmly promote the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, neighboring Zhuhai city, and unswervingly safeguard national security.

The SAR government will also strive to solve deep-rooted problems in socio-economic development, give full play to Macao's own advantages and characteristics to better integrate into overall national development, and break new ground in realizing "one country, two systems" practices with Macao characteristics, Ho added.

Zheng Xincong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, said on Saturday the dawn is reemerging for Macao after the haze of the pandemic, with festive decorations across the city and crowds returning to tourist spots and restaurants.

Zheng stressed, in his message for the Chinese New Year, efforts to fully, accurately and unswervingly implement the "one country, two systems" principle, resolutely safeguard the central authorities' overall jurisdiction, implement the "patriots administering Macao" principle, fully leverage Macao's advantages and characteristics, and better integrate into overall national development to jointly build a brighter future for Macao.

Liu Xianfa, commissioner of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Macao SAR, said Macao boasts obvious advantages in terms of international exchanges and cooperation, and plays a special role in stepping up cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries and Southeast Asian countries, as well as in the building of the Belt and Road Initiative, which provide sound conditions and opportunities for Macao's transformation and development.

The commissioner's office will actively assist the Macao SAR in expanding external exchanges and cooperation, and create a favorable environment for Macao's long-term prosperity and stability, as well as the steady and sustained development of "one country, two systems," Liu said.