Dear Macao Residents and Friends,
Everything takes on a new look at the beginning of a new year. As we ring in the new year and enjoy the reunion with our family and friends, I would like to extend my new year greetings to all Macao residents and those who have continued to care about and support Macao’s development, on behalf of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government. I wish you a happy and healthy Lunar New Year!
The past Year of the Rabbit witnessed Macao’s recovery from the pandemic and its robust development, during which we took active measures to lift Macao out of the shadow of the pandemic and put it on track for a speedy economic resurgence. The amendments to the Law on Safeguarding National Security were passed and entered into force in 2023, beefing up our efforts to safeguard national security. With economic indicators in Macao on the upswing, the first comprehensive and systemic development plan of appropriate economic diversification was drawn up and put into practice to bring the development of emerging industries to a new level. We made headway in a number of the MSAR’s undertakings: the Macao Union Hospital started trial operation; construction of the senior citizens' housing units and the Macao New Neighbourhood (MNN) was concluded; the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Barra Station was put into use; the Talent Recruitment Programme kicked off; and people’s livelihoods were constantly improved. These achievements continued to shore up people’s confidence and cement stability and harmony across society. The Overall Development Plan for the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin was approved by the Central People's Government, marking another achievement in the development of the Cooperation Zone. I would like to express my most sincere gratitude here to all residents and participants from all walks of life for your devotion and hard work.
At this time, our land is blessed with awe-inspiring scenery and the auspicious energy of the dragon. With the Year of the Rabbit behind us, we are now heading towards the Year of the Dragon. As a totem of the Chinese nation, the dragon stands for good luck, courage and vitality in traditional culture. Looking ahead towards the new year, we are committed to upholding national security and fostering greater patriotism and love for Macao; it is also necessary to boost the momentum of economic recovery and make proactive moves to implement the “1+4” development strategy in a bid to realise substantial progress in appropriate economic diversification; we will prioritise the growth of the Cooperation Zone and meet the phased goals laid out in the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin at a faster pace; more efforts will also be made to conduct external exchanges so that Macao can integrate itself better into the overall national development. In the meantime, we will keep advancing public administrative reform to improve governance in Macao and make tangible improvements to people’s livelihoods to make Macao a more liveable city, delivering greater welfare to its people, promoting social harmony and stability, and taking Macao into a new stage of development.
The year 2024 bears great historical importance as it marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland. The MSAR Government will continue to unite its residents in implementing the aspirations communicated through a series of important speeches by President Xi Jinping and the strategic implementation of the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. We will follow unwaveringly through with the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, “Macao people governing Macao” and a high degree of autonomy, as well as the principle of “patriots governing Macao”. Through concerted efforts across the community, we aim to seize the unprecedented opportunities brought by the development of the nation and take greater actions to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the PRC, and the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, with new development achievements.
With the advent of spring, flowers blossom and all things bounce back to life; with joyous bliss, we open our arms to the new year. I firmly believe that Macao will be catapulted to a vigorous new year with a dragon-like verve under the aegis of the country and the collective efforts made by its residents to take on a whole new look and scale more heights!
As the Lunar New Year is around the corner, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to public servants and those from all walks of life, as well as their family members, for the services they provide during the festival. I wish Macao long-term prosperity and stability, harmony among all races, and all Macao residents a happy family and every success in all that they do.
Happy Lunar New Year!
February 9, 2024
Source: Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) [Minor edits by The Macau Post Daily]
Caption: Macau SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy Lunar New Year - Photo: GCS
