Macao sees bright prospects by integrating into national development
By
He Linping, People’s Daily
“The
biggest
secret of Macao’s success is itsendeavor to stay
committed to the basis of ‘one country’,well leverage the benefits of ‘two systems’,
actively integrate into the national development, and madeself-progress out of
the support of its motherland,”said Xu Jianhua, head of Department of Sociology
of University of Macau, at a recent symposium.
During
the past 20 years since the return of Macao to the motherland, the region has enjoyed
rapid economic development, continuous improvement in people’s livelihood, and long-term
social stability.
The GDP of Macao has increased from over 50 billion
patacas
(about $6.2 billion) in 1999 to more than 440 billion patacas in 2018, while
the per capita GDP of the region has risen from 120,000 patacas in 1999 to
660,000 patacas in 2018, a vivid example of leapfrog development.
Theprinciple of “one
country, two systems” has thrived with new dynamism in Macao since the region’s
return to China, and experts attribute such success to Macao’s active
integration into the national development, as well as its strict observation of
the Constitution of the People’s
Republic of China and the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region
(SAR)
Over
the past 40 years, China’s Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR have taken active part
in the country’sreform and opening-up and
modernization, and meanwhile benefited greatly from the spectacular opportunities
generated by China’s remarkable development.
Proactively
integrating its own development into the development of the country generates
important driving force for long-term prosperity and stability of Macao, and acting
in strict adherence to the Constitution and the Basic Law has fundamentally
guaranteed the development of rule of law of Macao, remarked Lin Wu, member of
the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC) and director general of the Institute
of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Development Studies, Sun Yat-sen University.
Integrated
development and cooperation with the Chinese mainland is one of the most
remarkable achievements of Macao since its return to China, Xu said at the
symposium.
“Macao’s
great achievementsare the results of the region’s efforts to venerate the order
based on the Constitution and the Basic Law, maintain and carry forward the
excellent tradition of loving the motherland and Macao, build and adhere to the
consensus about improving people’s livelihood by developing economy, and
consolidate and promote the advantages of its well-established history and
culture,” Deng Zhonghua, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs
Office of the State Council, explained at the symposium.
According
to experts, with the support of the Chinese central
government, Macao SAR has well served as a bridgein attracting
foreign investment and boosting the “going global” strategy since its return to
the motherland, playing an important and unique role in the construction of the
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay
Area.
Besides,
the Constitution and the Basic Law of Macao SAR have jointly formed the
constitutional basis of Macao SAR, which not only serves as the legal foundation
of the democracy and autonomy of Macao, but also effectively stimulates the
dynamism of Macao’s economy, politics, and culture.
The
ongoing construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which
represents a new endeavor to boost the integration of Hong Kong and Macao into
the development of the country and further promote the implementation of the “one
country, two systems” principle, enjoys great prospects.
Wu
Mei, an associate professor at the Department of Communication of University of
Macau, has found through sampling statistics that primary and secondary school
students of Macao have clear and objective knowledge and high level emotional
identity of the history and culture of China, and showed behavioral intention of
integrating into their motherland.
To
draw on the successful experiences of the practices of “one country, two systems”
principle in Macao and further enrich and develop the principle is the new situationand
task for the development of the region in the new era.
“The
glorious future of Macao is worth expecting,” said Zhang Yong, deputy
directorof the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the
National People’s Congress, suggesting that relevant parties should
actively contribute their wisdom to the implementation of the “one country, two
systems” principle so that it can sail forward steadily.
Macao sees bright prospects by integrating into national development
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