The “one country, two systems” principle has proved workable and popular in the Macau, as is shown by Macau’s success over the past 20 years, said Fu Ziying, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau.
Since returning to China in 1999, Macau has undergone its fastest growth period ever, Fu said in a recent interview quoted today by China Daily.
The key to Macau’s success is its comprehensive and accurate understanding and implementation of “one country, two systems” and its strict adherence to the Constitution and the Basic Law, he said.
“The Macau government and all sectors of society have combined upholding the ‘one country’ with respect for differences of the ‘two systems’, preserving the power of the central government and ensuring a high degree of autonomy in the region,” he said.
Fu said that national sovereignty, security and interests have been well protected in Macau. The SAR has passed many laws to safeguard national security.
He said Macau’s administrative system has operated smoothly and its level of law-based governance has significantly improved. The executive and legislative branches cooperate and keep each other in balance, and the judicial branch exercises its functions independently.
Macao has well applied the advantages of the “one country, two systems” principle to achieve remarkable economic development. While maintaining stable development of its gaming industry, the SAR has accelerated cultivation of new, diversified industries, Fu said, such as exhibitions, traditional Chinese medicine and finance.
Macau’s GDP increased from 51.87 billion patacas ($6.43 billion) in 1999 to 444.7 billion patacas in 2018. The fiscal surplus reached 505.6 billion yuan by the end of last year, a 193-fold increase over 1999, greatly enhancing the SAR’s ability to protect itself from external risks. The unemployment rate fell from 6.3 percent in 1999 to 1.8 percent in 2018, official data show.
Fu said Macau has greatly improved residents’ welfare, enabling all sectors of society, especially vulnerable groups, to share in the fruits of economic development.
Macau’s success could be seen in its social harmony and inclusiveness, with “love for the country and love for the region” becoming the mainstream values, he said.
“One country, two systems”, “Macau people governing Macau” and the high degree of autonomy are well-accepted by Macau residents, Fu said.
To expand and improve the quality of development, it is inevitable for Macau to integrate itself into the overall development of the country, he said.
He urged the SAR to further exploit the advantages of the “one country, two systems” principle and participate in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
