'Confident in future': Macao SAR residents inspired by President Xi Jinping's speech

Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech has instilled an even greater sense of confidence and optimism in the future of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), and his emphasis on the success of the "One Country, Two Systems" with distinctive Macao features has resonated deeply with residents of the city.

President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered a speech at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macao SAR at the Macao East Asian Games Dome on Friday morning.

Macao has undergone earthshaking transformation, and its international standing has increased significantly over the past 25 years since its return to the motherland, Xi said in the speech.

In 2023, Macao's GDP climbed to seven times the figure of 1999. Its per capita GDP now ranks among the world's highest. Macao is also one of the safest places globally. Education is free from kindergarten to senior high, and the average life expectancy in the region has risen to 83.1 years.

Sam Hou Fai, the sixth-term chief executive of the Macao SAR, who was inaugurated on Friday, said over the past 25 years since Macao's return to the motherland, Macao has witnessed the most rapid economic growth and the most significant improvement in people's livelihoods in its history.

It has been fully proven that the great motherland always has a strong backing for Macao's long-term prosperity and stability, said Sam.

"We are confident that with the strong support of President Xi Jinping and the central government, along with the united efforts of all residents, we will undoubtedly achieve even greater and more remarkable success in the implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems,'" he said.

In his speech on Friday, President Xi said "One Country, Two Systems" is a good policy that helps maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, serves the noble cause of building a stronger country and achieving national rejuvenation, and promotes peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between different social systems.

He urged the new government of the Macao SAR to better leverage the institutional advantages of "One Country, Two Systems" and open up new prospects for the cause's high-quality development.

Lau Pun Lap, president of the Macau Economic Association, said it is by staying committed to the fundamental policy of "One Country" and fully delivering the benefits of "Two Systems" that Macao has gained a continuous driving force for its progress.

"'One Country' is fundamental. Without this foundation, 'Two Systems' would not exist," said Lau. Only by adhering to the principle of "One Country" can the advantages of "Two Systems" become more apparent, allowing Macao to access boundless development opportunities, he added.

President Xi, in Friday's speech, also called on young people in Macao to assume the role of builders and successors of the cause of "One Country, Two Systems."

"The young people are the hope and future of Macao," he said, adding that he met many outstanding young people during his three-day stay in Macao, including government workers, entrepreneurs and teachers.

Sun Zhaolong, a researcher at the Macau Institute of Space Technology and Application under Macau University of Science and Technology, said President Xi would always come to Macao and visit schools and universities to engage with young people on the big anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, like what he has done in 2014, 2019 and this year.

"The times are changing quickly with many emerging industries. This era requires the new generation of youth to work hard," Sun told CGTN.

Sun said he will continue to contribute to aerospace development, as a participant in the Macao Science-1 satellites program, the first space science satellite program jointly developed by the Chinese mainland and Macao.

Luís Gomes, president of the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR government, said he is confident in fulfilling the mission of being the builders and successors of the cause of "One Country, Two Systems."

In the future, the Macao SAR will depend on the motherland, establish itself within the Greater Bay Area and connect with the world, contributing to Chinese modernization with its unique strengths, said Gomes.