SAR encouraged to contribute to reform goals with its own strengths
Senior central government officials on Wednesday encouraged the Macao Special Administrative Region to closely integrate with national development strategies, and contribute to the country’s reform endeavors by leveraging its unique strengths.
Their remarks came during two high-profile seminars attended by over 1,000 representatives from various sectors in Macao. Shen Chunyao, chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and Wang Wentao, the nation’s minister of commerce, outlined key takeaways of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
Shen expressed his delight at the diverse participation to the seminar, which demonstrates the Macao community’s care and interest in national development and major policies.
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A resolution was adopted at the plenum and provides a historic opportunity for the city, Shen said. He called on all sectors in Macao to effectively implement the guiding principles of the resolution, integrate into the national development strategies, and support the country’s modernization initiatives.
Reiterating the resolution’s focus on comprehensive reform for Chinese modernization, Shen said he hopes Macao will continue to serve as a contributor and a beneficiary of the nation’s reform and opening-up strategy.
He also urged Macao, in collaboration with the Chinese mainland, to address key livelihood issues such as demographic changes, educational planning, and challenges posed by an aging population, as stated in the resolution.
Wang commended Macao for its significant contributions to the country’s reform and opening-up with its unique strengths.
As the city acts to diversify its economy, it is important for Macao to take the lead in aligning with the country’s reform measures and national strategies, such as the forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and the building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, said Wang.
He believes that Macao can serve as a high-level platform for opening-up and a testing ground for innovative reform policies, playing a greater role in the nation’s journey toward modernization.
At the same event, Zheng Xincong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, encouraged the participants to share insights gained from the seminar with a broader community and foster local engagement in implementing the resolution.
All sectors of society need to deeply understand the necessity and urgency of deepening reforms in various fields in Macao, he said.
Zheng also called on Macao society to help convey the stories of China’s reform progress to a global audience, enhancing international understanding of China’s contribution to a better world.
Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng thanked Shen and Wang for sharing their insights into national strategies with Macao society. He described the seminar as a milestone event for Macao’s development, especially during a crucial period for advancing China’s modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
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He stressed the crucial role of the seminar attendees in bridging the government and residents, calling on them to thoroughly grasp the spirit of the resolution and take action to propel the city’s further development.
The first seminar held in the morning was attended by principal Macao officials led by Ho, and members of the Executive Council, Legislative Assembly, and Judiciary. Another seminar in the afternoon saw a gathering of Edmund Ho Hau-wah, a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese Political Consultative Conference; former chief executive Fernando Chui Sai-on; Macao delegates to the National People’s Congress and National Committee of the CPPCC; as well as representatives from the business, professional, educational, media and youth sectors.
The seminars were a continuation of a Tuesday briefing by Shen and Wang, who informed around 380 officials from the offices of the central government in Macao and representatives of the Chinese enterprises in the city about the outcomes and directives of the national plenum.
Three similar seminars were held in Hong Kong on Sunday and Monday.
