Newly appointed Foreign Ministry Commissioner Shen Beili said Wednesday her office was “sincerely delighted” with Macau’s “growing external engagement and international prestige.”
Shen, who heads the ministry’s local office, gave the praise in a speech during a welcome reception marking her recent posting to Macau. Shen arrived in Macau on September 14, when she succeeded Ye Dabo in a routine change at the helm of the commission. Shen paid a courtesy call on Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On on September 18.
The reception at Macau Tower was attended by several hundred guests including Chui, his predecessor Edmund Ho Hau Wah who is now a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and other high-ranking local and mainland officials and community leaders.
Shen, who was born in Shanghai in 1963, is a former assistant minister and director-general of the General Office of the International Department of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Central Committee.
Shen pledged that as the ministry’s new commissioner in Macau, she will “resolutely safeguard” the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests, “actively facilitate Macau’s engagement and cooperation with the rest of the world, [and] earnestly serve fellow compatriots and Macau’s development, so as to continuously contribute to the Macau-related diplomacy’s new chapters.”
Shen, a former minister at the Chinese embassy in London, also said that her office “is committed to working creatively in light of actual conditions in Macau to further improve the practice of Macau-related diplomacy”.
The career diplomat also pointed out that Macau is integrating its own development into the overall development of the country by actively participating in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), international cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the development of Macau’s “One Centre, One Platform” plan.
The “centre” and “platform” plan refers to Macau as a world centre of tourism and leisure, and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between the mainland and the world’s Portuguese-speaking countries.
Shen underlined that “it has become a common pursuit for compatriots in Macau to share both the historic responsibility for national rejuvenation and the pride of a strong and prosperous China.”
In her speech, Shen also pointed out that earlier this month the central government issued new facilitation measures for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan residents studying, working and living on the mainland, giving them more opportunities and welfare there.
Shen, who stressed the importance of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle for Macau’s future development, said that compatriots who love both the nation and Macau “are increasingly gaining force,” adding that her office will further implement the guiding principles of the 19th CPC National Congress in October last year. She also said that her office would continue to work under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on diplomacy.
In her speech, Shen also praised “the beautiful city of Macau” for its “unique charm.”
“Today Macau boasts a prosperous economy, social stability and harmonious community with strong vitality in all undertakings,” Shen said.
Shen also praised the local government under Chui’s leadership for working well in disaster prevention and emergency relief during the recent onslaught by Super Typhoon Mangkhut.
Meanwhile, Chui said in a speech that the local government would continue to follow the nation’s overall diplomatic strategy.
