The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, meets the press upon returning to Macao from Beijing after duty visit.
The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today said the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government would take President Xi Jinping’s latest important speech and instructions as its fundamental guiding principles in planning and advancing key tasks.
Mr Sam made the remarks in a briefing to the media on returning to Macao after a three-day duty visit to Beijing. It was to report to President Xi the latest developments in Macao, the MSAR Government’s work over the past year, and key policies for the coming year.
President Xi expressed during the meeting the central authorities’ recognition of the MSAR Government’s work, and he delivered an important speech, providing significant guidance and new requirements for the MSAR’s future efforts.
The Chief Executive said he had outlined six major subjects in his report to President Xi.
First, is the MSAR Government genuinely respecting and safeguarding the central authorities’ jurisdiction over the MSAR. Upholding national sovereignty and the country’s security and development interests are the supreme elements in implementing the “One country, two systems” principle. The MSAR Government has strengthened communication with the central authorities on major policies, decisions, and important developments, while actively heeding and implementing central guidance and directives.
Second, is the MSAR Government placing national security as the paramount principle at all times. The MSAR Government has conscientiously fulfilled its primary responsibility for safeguarding national security, enhanced strategic awareness and political sensitivity, and ensured no lapses in this critical area. It has systematically advanced the implementation of various tasks under the national security safeguarding plan, and initiated work on formulating legal and regulatory frameworks for the MSAR’s Committee for Safeguarding National Security. In accordance with law, a former member of the Legislative Assembly suspected of endangering national security had been arrested.
The principle of “patriots governing Macao” has been fully implemented. The eighth Legislative Assembly was successfully elected, and all current and newly-appointed civil servants have sworn their legally-mandated oaths of office.
A regular communication mechanism has been established between the MSAR Government and leaders of major local patriotic organisations on key issues, strengthening grassroots interaction. While ensuring the principle of executive-led governance, innovative mechanisms for coordination and communication among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches have been developed to foster positive interaction and efficient collaboration. In firm accordance with President Xi’s important instructions regarding fire safety following the Hong Kong fire incident, the MSAR has intensified inspections and risk assessments for fire hazards and other potential risks in key venues.
Third in the list of major subjects, is Macao’s maintenance of vigilance, its consolidating of social consensus, and its intensifying efforts to advance the development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, thereby promoting appropriate economic diversification.
Remaining true to the original vision of Hengqin’s development, the MSAR has accurately framed the strategic role of “Macao + Hengqin”; increased policy support and financial investment; and implemented plans for appropriate economic diversification. Progress has been made in establishing government-led industrial and guidance funds. Four landmark, high-impact infrastructure projects spanning Macao and Hengqin are being advanced. It has been clarified that investments by gaming and leisure enterprises in the Cooperation Zone will be treated as equivalent non-gaming investments within Macao.
Fourth in the list of major subjects, is ensuring the legal, healthy, and orderly development of the gaming industry. All satellite gaming venues will be lawfully closed by 31 December this year as scheduled. The gaming industry will be maintained at an appropriate scale, with a healthy structure. Gaming concessionaires are being urged to expand further their overseas customer base and fulfil their non-gaming investment commitments.
Fifth, is emphasising integrated internal coordination and external connectivity, leveraging Macao’s unique role as a platform to link places. The MSAR has taken a number of steps: hosting a reception for foreign consular representatives stationed in Hong Kong and Macao; supporting the hosting of the Global Artificial Intelligence Machines and Electronics Expo (AIE); establishing the International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations; accelerating the development of a high-level platform for the country’s opening-up; and resuming the A-Ma Cultural & Tourism Festival – the 18th edition and the first since 2020.
Sixth, has been the MSAR Government adhering to a pragmatic approach, doing its utmost within capabilities, while ensuring a solid social safety net. The Wealth Partaking Scheme has been reformed, a child-rearing allowance introduced, and various pro-people measures implemented. Public housing policies have been optimised, employment promotion and protection strengthened, and the social security and healthcare systems continuously improved.
Greater care and support have been extended to vulnerable groups. Targeted increases in resources have been directed towards youth development, supporting young people in achieving their goals in the context of Macao’s integration into national development.
In the media briefing, Mr Sam noted that President Xi had fully recognised the MSAR Government’s existing work, and issued a series of new and important instructions and requirements for Macao’s development. Mr Sam said the MSAR Government would unite and lead all sectors of society in thoroughly studying and implementing the spirit of President Xi’s important speech and instructions.
Effort would be made to improve further the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security, better balance development and security, maintain a high level of security, and promote high-quality development, said Mr Sam.
On behalf of the MSAR and all its residents, the Chief Executive expressed heartfelt gratitude to President Xi, the central authorities, the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and other committee and ministries, for the care and support they have shown for Macao.
He also expressed his deep appreciation to the broad Macao community – especially patriotic organisations – for their united efforts in advancing major policies, overcoming the impacts of the forces of nature, and jointly ensuring social stability, harmony, and security.
Moving forward, the MSAR Government will focus on the following five key areas:
One, the proactive alignment of Macao with the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan in order to seize development opportunities and achieve better progress for the MSAR. The period covered by the 15th Five-Year Plan will be a crucial stage for the country to lay solid foundations and make comprehensive advances toward the basic achievement of socialist modernisation. It also represents a precious historical opportunity for Macao. The MSAR will actively align with the 15th Five-Year Plan, and formulate and implement in an effective manner the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR, thereby opening up broader development prospects. Preliminary work on formulating the Third Five-Year Plan for the MSAR has already begun.
Two, to ensure Macao continuously enhances governance effectiveness and the upholding and improving of the executive-led system. The MSAR will deepen public administration reform, fully leverage the leadership and coordination mechanisms for reform, accelerate institutional restructuring and functional optimisation, and build a clean, efficient, proactive, and service-orientated government.
Work on enacting, amending, and repealing laws will be expedited to establish a modern legal system for Macao. The coordination mechanisms among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches will be further refined, with enhanced communication on major development issues to build greater synergy for the MSAR’s advancement.
Three, the MSAR Government will solidly advance appropriate economic diversification. The MSAR will accelerate the establishment of government-led industrial and guidance funds, and steadily advance the four major infrastructure projects, to promote quality growth in the “1+4” industries earmarked for Macao’s economic diversification.
Four, is the MSAR Government’s work to accelerate development of the Cooperation Zone. The MSAR will implement the new development orientation of “Macao + Hengqin”, meet the “three benchmarks” requirements, and take Macao-Hengqin integration as its goal, in order to speed up Cooperation Zone development. Priority will be given to advancing a number of landmark, high-impact projects, as well as consolidating the role of the China-Portuguese (Spanish) Speaking Countries Economic and Trade Service Centre, and making full use of the China-Portugal (-Spanish) trade and economy development fund.
Five, will be to ensure Macao is better integrating into and serving the overall national development strategy by building a higher-level platform for external opening-up. Leveraging Macao’s strengths, the MSAR will continue advancing the development of the “One Centre, One Platform, One Base” strategy and also of “One Highland”; and will also actively participate in the “Belt and Road” initiative and the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Macao will, in addition, continuously expand its international network, and effectively tell Macao’s story and China’s story to the world, contributing to the nation’s higher-level opening-up.
The MSAR Government will soon convene a briefing session for principal officials and leading officials of public departments, said Mr Sam. Guided fundamentally by President Xi’s important speech and instructions, the MSAR Government will review the achievements and experiences of the past year, address shortcomings, strengthen weak areas, clarify goals and directions, and lay out key tasks for the next phase of development.
Reforms would inevitably bring greater challenges, said the Chief Executive. The MSAR Government will proceed in an orderly manner, uniting and leading all sectors of society in a thorough study and implementation of President Xi’s series of important speeches and instructions.
Focusing on the overarching goal of enhancing the MSAR’s governance effectiveness as set out in the 2026 Policy Address, the MSAR Government will work in close partnership with society in order to plan, deploy and implement key tasks for next year and beyond. The MSAR Government will advance the noble cause of the “One country, two systems” principle, steadily and sustainably, promote better development of the MSAR, achieve new accomplishments, and fully live up to the expectations and trust placed in it by President Xi and the central authorities.
