Celebrating a vision
Two decades on from its return to China, Macao has combined its destiny with that of the motherland
Looking back over 20 years of progress in Macao, Lilybeth Deapera sees much to celebrate. As Philippine consul general in the special administrative region, she is impressed by its stellar pace of development, its capacity to recover quickly from disasters, and its welcoming attitude to the migrant Filipino community.
On Dec 20, Macao marks the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland, and Deapera said she wishes it “will continue to be successful” in the years ahead.
After more than a century of Portuguese rule, China resumed sovereignty over Macao in December 1999 and established the SAR to exercise “one country, two systems”. China adopted this unique principle to allow the Macao and Hong Kong SARs to practice a capitalist system, while the mainland continues with a socialist system.
Macao’s progress over the last two decades has been marked by political stability, social harmony, economic prosperity and cultural diversity.
Pivotal to Macao’s success is the government’s strict implementation of the Basic Law of the Macao SAR and the principle of “one country, two systems”, which grants Macao a high degree of autonomy, according to Fernando Chui Sai-on, chief executive of Macao between 2009 and 2019. Chui officially steps down on Dec 20.
Fu Ziying, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, said the past 20 years have witnessed “the fastest and greatest development in Macao’s history, with macroeconomic indicators showing brilliant performance”.
The city also passed laws to protect national sovereignty, security and interests, he added.
Macao’s GDP surged from $6.4 billion in 1999 to $54.54 billion in 2018. The per capita GDP grew five times from 1999 to 2018, its fiscal reserves 193-fold and foreign reserves 6.2fold, while the unemployment rate decreased from 6.3 percent to 1.8 percent.
In the eyes of Wang Zhenmin, chief of China Law Society’s research branch on Hong Kong Basic Law and Macao Basic Law, the successful transformation of politics and law laid a solid foundation for effective governance.
By applying the Basic Law, the governing system was refined. A new law safeguarding national security was adopted in 2009 with a high number of votes.
Other legislations progressed smoothly on the protection of the Chinese national flag, emblem and song. Raising the national flag and singing the anthem are common among local schools.
Ho Iat-seng, who becomes the fifthterm chief executive on Dec 20, bowed to the national flag and emblem as well as the regional flag and emblem after chairing his last meeting at the Legislative Council on July 5, before joining the ensuing chief executive election. He explained his move as “representing our respect for the country and the will to be exemplary in practicing ‘one country, two systems’”.
Wang, who is also director of the Center for Hong Kong and Macao Research with Tsinghua University, said that practical and effective practices for elections — combining direct votes and consultation, plus full respect for Beijing’s central governance — led to the smooth transfer of administrations since 1999.
Edmund Ho Hau-wah, Macao’s first chief executive from 1999 to 2009, said: “Over the past two decades, Macao has combined its own destiny with that of the motherland.”
Speaking to China Daily, he said that when Macao returned to the motherland, the city had a weak economy, high unemployment rate and serious security issues.
“I set myself a task that the region should implement the Basic Law strictly and make the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ a success in Macao.
“I was gratified to see that Macao has improved a lot in the past 20 years … This couldn’t have been achieved without support from the country or without the efforts of Macao people,” he said.
Effective policy support from the central government also helps Macao in developing into a global tourism and leisure center. The 2003 signing of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between the Chinese mainland and Macao focused on promoting free trade and economic cooperation.
In 2009, the Hengqin New Area in neighboring Zhuhai, Guangdong province, opened to provide Macao with ground for industrial and academic expansion.
The governments of Macao and Guangdong signed an agreement in 2011 to jointly develop an industrial park promoting traditional Chinese medicine in Zhuhai.
The opening of the Hong KongZhuhai-Macao Bridge in 2018 helps to further strengthen Macao’s links with Hong Kong and Guangdong.
Speaking at the Vision China forum held in Macao on Dec 11, Irene Lau Kuan-va, president of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, noted that Macao has maintained its status as a free port and separate customs territory.
This was made possible thanks to “a transparent, nondiscriminatory and open economy, adding up to a very good business-friendly environment”, she said.
Macao has gradually diversified its economy, although tourism and gaming businesses still take the majority share.
By the end of 2017, the total added value of Macao’s emerging industries — including the conference and exhibition industry, financial industry, traditional Chinese medicine industry, and cultural and creative industry — had increased by 23.6 percent from 2015, accounting for over 8 percent of the total added value of all industries.
In August 2015, the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine was officially established in Macao.
“As of today, the basic structure of a moderately diversified economy has taken shape in Macao,” said Leong Vai Tac, secretary for economy and finance of Macao.
The central government has also made successful moves in extending Macao’s global reach. The “one country, two systems” principle not only promotes the city’s growth and welfare but also bolsters its international influence, according to Shen Beili, commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Macao SAR.
“In accordance with the Basic Law of Macao and Macao’s practical needs, the Macao SAR has taken an active role in the activities of international organizations and various international conferences, and raised its voice so that Macao’s international influence has been greatly lifted, coordinating with the country’s multilateral diplomacy,” Shen said.
Up to 1999, only three countries and regions gave citizens of Macao visa-free access. Today, more than 140 countries and regions grant Macao the treatment.
The city has also gained membership to more than 110 international organizations and associations.
In particular, Macao has achieved many fruitful results through Forum Macao, said Xu Yingzhen, secretary general of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao.
Forum Macao, or the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and PortugueseSpeaking Countries (Macao), initiated in 2003, has member countries including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Timor-Leste, and Sao Tome and Principe.
“Besides the development of China’s bilateral relationship with each member country of the Macao Forum (Forum Macao), Macao still plays its role as a coordinating element,” said Paulo Cunha Alves, consul general of Portugal in the Macao SAR.
Macao has set up a number of platforms with Portuguese-speaking countries to develop financial services focused on RMB clearing, financial leasing and wealth management.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, trade between China and these countries has grown from more than $11 billion in 2003 to $147.35 billion in 2018.
Christopher Ng, head of program development at the British Council in Hong Kong, said Macao “feels a lot more internationalized” since 1999.
The SAR’s achievement of fast development and long-term prosperity while safeguarding national security and interests is already integrated in its residents’ improved quality of life. “I can feel education standards are much higher as well, and that there’s a lot more mobility,” Ng told China Daily.
Macao students avail of free education for 15 years, from kindergarten to high school. Residents over 65 get an average combined monthly pension and a subsidy of 6,099 patacas ($760) from the government. Life expectancy is over 80 years old, making it one of the highest ranked in the world, according to data from the United Nations.
Under the public housing plan of the Macao SAR government, 51,000 public housing units have been constructed to meet the requirements of middle- and low-income residents.
Chen Yulian, a senior volunteer worker at an elderly service center in Macao, witnessed firsthand the progress made since 1999. She recalled living with her family of three in a 70-square-meter housing unit together with another two families, where one toilet was shared by 11 people. They also had no welfare, she added.
“Before the return of Macao, all the legal documents were written in Portuguese. We had to pay for translation to handle paperwork with the authorities,” said the 75-year-old, who is now fond of traveling with her husband.
“Looking back on the past, I feel so proud as a Chinese,” she said.