BEIJING - The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Monday pledged efforts to fully support the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) in achieving new progress in its high-quality development.

A spokesperson for the office made the remarks following a speech that Sam Hou-fai, the sixth-term chief executive of the Macao SAR, delivered on Monday, which was Sam's first policy speech since taking office.

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Noting that the chief executive's speech fully demonstrated the reform-minded, innovative, responsible and enterprising spirit of the SAR's new-term government, the spokesperson said that the central government will spare no effort in backing the SAR government and various sectors of Macao to complete the significant mission of advancing the "one country, two systems" practice.

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The speech outlined a vision for – as well as pathways to build – a Macao that is ruled by law, and that is dynamic and brimming with culture and happiness. It also highlighted issues and challenges facing the SAR, and put forward a raft of new approaches and response measures to tackle them, the spokesperson said.

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With the strong support of the central government and the Chinese mainland, the Macao SAR government and all sectors of Macao's society will surely give full play to the advantages of the "one country, two systems" policy, proactively seize opportunities, and continuously create new achievements, the spokesperson said.

Thus they will also make new and greater contributions to building a great modern socialist country and achieving the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by pursuing Chinese modernization, the spokesperson added.