Liu Xianfa concluded his tenure as Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) yesterday and returned to Beijing with his wife Li Ping, after he had “recently” paid farewell visits to MSAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, Edmund Ho Hau Wah, the MSAR’s first chief executive and now a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Sam’s two predecessors Fernando Chui Sai On and Ho Iat Seng, as well as the heads of the special administrative region’s legislative and judicial organs, and other representatives from various segments of civil society.
The commissioner’s office made the announcement in a statement on its WeChat account last night.
Liu had headed the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the MSAR since February 2021.
Major, important, joyful events
The statement expressed Liu’s gratitude to the MSAR government and various segments of civil society for their long-standing strong support for the work of the commissioner’s office. The statement quoted Liu as saying that it was his honour to have participated in a string of major, important, and joyful events in the MSAR over the past five years, and to have witnessed new developments, new breakthroughs, and new achievements in the successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle in Macau.
According to the statement, Liu noted that this year marks the beginning of the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan, while the MSAR government is vigorously drawing up Macau’s third five-year socioeconomic development plan.
Liu firmly believes that, with the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping and the central authorities, the robust support of the people of the motherland, and the unity and hard work of Macau compatriots, Macau will certainly create an even brighter future, according to the statement.
The statement also pledged that the commissioner’s office will resolutely implement the central authorities’ decisions and deployments, and fully perform its duties and fulfil its responsibilities in accordance with the MSAR Basic Law, while continuing to create a favourable environment for Macau’s socioeconomic development.
Sam, Edmund Ho, others praise Liu’s work
Moreover, according to the statement, Sam, Edmund Ho, and others spoke highly of Liu’s leadership of the commissioner’s office over the past five years during which he pioneered and innovated with a pragmatic and effective approach.
They, according to the statement, praised Liu for vigorously promoting Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, resolutely and effectively safeguarding national security, supporting Macau in expanding external exchanges and cooperation and in improving its systems and mechanisms related to foreign affairs, promoting the greater opening-up of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and fully protecting the overseas rights and interests of Macau compatriots.
According to the statement, Sam, Edmund Ho, and others also praised Liu for, based on concrete actions, practicing the principles of “Diplomacy Benefiting Macau” and “Diplomacy for the People” and making positive contributions to Macau’s long-term prosperity and stability and to its appropriate economic diversification.
According to the statement, Sam, Edmund Ho, and others underlined that Macau will fully leverage its unique advantages to deepen economic, trade, cultural, and education exchanges and cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries as well as neighbouring countries, while better integrating its development into and serving the nation’s overall development.
Liu, born in Shandong Province’s port city of Qingdao in April 1963, holds a doctoral degree in Management Science. Before his posting to Macau in February 2021, Liu had been an assistant minister of the Foreign Ministry since 2019.
This undated handout photo released by the Office of the Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in Macau last night shows Commissioner Liu Xianfa (left) meeting with Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai before concluding his tenure and returning to Beijing.
This undated handout photo released by the commissioner’s office last night shows Commissioner Liu Xianfa (left) and CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairman Edmund Ho Hau Wah posing for a photo on the sidelines of their meeting.
