The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Mr Cheong Weng Chon, speaks to reporters.
The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Mr Cheong Weng Chon, said today that Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Mr Xia Baolong, had encouraged patriotic organisations in Macao to support fully the lawful governance of the Chief Executive and of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government, and thus make a greater contribution to Macao’s economic development and that of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
Secretary Cheong was speaking to reporters after attending a meeting in the afternoon between Director Xia and representatives of several patriotic and love-for-Macao associations.
During the meeting, association representatives expressed their opinions regarding Macao’s socio-economic development. Director Xia acknowledged the strong support of these patriotic organisations for the MSAR Government’s lawful governance, urging them to press ahead in the next phase with high-quality development in association work, including attracting a greater number of patriotic individuals to join such effort.
Director Xia also mentioned the importance of unity between various sectors, to advance Macao’s appropriate economic diversification, and the need always to bear in mind the need for such momentum, while also being highly vigilant regarding challenges in relation to development. Development and construction of Hengqin was of crucial importance for Macao’s appropriate economic diversification, and the Macao community should be asked to consider Hengqin development as being in the community’s own interest.
In addition, Secretary Cheong said his team managing administrative and legal affairs would continue to ensure the effective carrying out of various governmental tasks, in particularly public administration reforms in terms of structure, personnel, and services. He mentioned, in this context, the requests made by Director Xia during today’s meeting, and the series of important speeches by President Xi Jinping during a visit to Macao last year, in particular President Xi’s “Four Aspirations” with regard to Macao’s development. These would be the important points of guidance for the administration and justice team.
Furthermore, the team of the Secretary for Administration and Justice – under the guidance of the leading group for the promotion of the construction of the Cooperation Zone, spearheaded by the Chief Executive – will work concertedly to advance development of the Cooperation Zone. This endeavour would involve increasing manpower and other resources in various aspects, to ensure that the development of Hengqin could provide a greater contribution to Macao’s appropriate economic diversification.