Editorial: Xi, Merz hit the reset button for amicably pragmatic Sino-German ties

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz paid a highly instructive two-day official visit to China last week, his first as the head of government of Europe’s strongest economy. President Xi Jinping and Merz, who appear to have established a good rapport, have hit the reset button for amicably pragmatic ties between the world’s second and third largest economies.In Beijing, the nation’s political nerve centre, Merz met with Xi, Premier Li Qiang, and Vice-Premier He Lifeng, and – visibly

March 2, 2026 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: National alignment key to success of Macau’s 3rd Five-Year Plan

Considering that the central authorities’ 15th Five-Year Plan and Macau’s Third Five-Year Plan are getting off the ground at a gallop in the run-up to the Year of the Horse, it is the right moment to reflect on the importance of making sure that the national plan and the two regional plans – Hong Kong has finally come up with its 1st Five-Year Plan – are aligned with each other. I am convinced that national alignment is the key to success for the two regional plans. This editorial

February 9, 2026 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: Xi’s spot-on New Year call: time to better integrate Macau into national development

     President Xi Jinping mentioned Macau – and Hong Kong, for that matter – twice in his 2026 New Year address. Xi pointed out in his message broadcast nationwide on New Year’s Eve that “not long ago, I attended the opening ceremony of the National Games, and I was glad to see Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau coming together in unity and acting in unison”. I may add that Macau won a record three gold and two bronze medals, all in karate events, at the National

January 5, 2026 | BY admin

Comment: 1

Editorial: Tai Po inferno sparks solidarity and triggers call for fire safety drive

Wednesday’s deadly inferno in Hong Kong’s Tai Po District has sparked a wave of empathy and solidarity, triggering a nationwide call for fire safety improvements.I began editing Thursday’s edition in our newsroom in the afternoon while watching the catastrophe live on TVB News Channel with some of my team members. Initially, we thought it was “just” another blaze affecting a few flats in one of the many high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong. Of course, quicker than we would

December 1, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 2

Editorial: Party reaffirms key commitment to putting people first

Much to my delight, the key commitments to putting people first, promoting common prosperity, and safeguarding people’s well-being were reaffirmed in the Communist Party of China’s communiqué from the recent 4th Plenary Session of its 20th Central Committee. The session, headed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, was held in Beijing from October 20 to 23. Due to its significance, our newspaper released the full text (4,024 words) of the English-language version of the communiqué on its

October 31, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: Macau legislators need to keep their eye on the ball

Macau’s post-election legislature was sworn in last week, and the first thing that came to my mind was that our 33 lawmakers need to keep their eye on the ball by focusing on their core duty: creating legislation that serves the public and benefits the common good.Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, Macau’s former chief justice, expressed three expectations regarding the deputies’ four-year term in a meeting shortly after their oath-taking ceremony: to enhance the leadership role of the

October 20, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 1

Editorial: Xi’s GGI proposal, SCO summit, V-Day gathering reaffirm China as leading force for global peace

The launch of another global initiative and two major international events, held in Tianjin and Beijing last week, have reaffirmed China’s role as a leader in global peace and development efforts.President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) in a speech* at the ‘Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus’ Meeting in the northern port city on September 1.“I look forward with all countries to a more just and equitable global governance system and advancing toward a

September 9, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 1

Editorial: ‘The Composer’ – honouring Macau’s most famous son and marking the nation’s WWII victory

On Friday afternoon, at the local Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I had the honour of attending a screening of one of the most emotionally resonant historical films I have ever seen. I must admit I was on the verge of tears several times during the feature-length film – a rare occurrence in my life.The screening of “The Composer”, held in conjunction with a photo exhibition marking the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of

September 1, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: Zhejiang: ancient, ecological, futuristic – all packed in one

Having returned just a few days ago from a packed visit to Zhejiang as a member of a local Portuguese- and English-language media delegation I feel that I visited both Shangri-la and Silicon Valley at the same time.The four-day trip organised by the Macau-based Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs convinced me that the province in the Yangtze River Delta region can be aptly described by just three adjectives – ancient, ecological, futuristic.It was my first visit to

August 11, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: EU should ‘rebalance’ its mindset towards China

During last week’s 25th China-EU Summit in Beijing, which celebrated the half-century mark of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two sides, President Xi Jinping put forward three propositions for the future development of China-EU relations that I – an EU citizen who has lived and worked in China for nearly half a century – found realistically attainable, assuming both sides share a committed mindset. And that remains the challenge.The summit was co-chaired by Premier Li

July 28, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: Seeking common ground, viewing differences calmly

Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s weeklong working visit to Brussels, Berlin and Paris has shown, once again, that he is one of the world’s most well-versed international relations managers, considering his diplomatic skills and impact on global affairs.While making comparisons is always a tough nut to crack, one might draw parallels between Wang and some of his outstanding predecessors on the international stage of diplomacy, such as Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, Klemens von Metternich, and

July 7, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: Cash is king… or is it?

I am sure that most, if not all, residents have become so used to the government’s annual wealth-sharing scheme, now in its 18th year, that they regard it as an acquired right.Some low-income citizens, such as one-parent families and the elderly, have even become dependent on it.Of course, the so-called “cash handout” is not an acquired right, but the pecuniary consequence of a specific political decision by the government to let residents partake in their city’s wealth and also, in

May 26, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: Lula’s visit set to further strengthen China-Brazil, LatAm-Caribbean ties

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is paying a state visit to China this week that, I am confident, will not only further strengthen the close bilateral ties between the two countries but also the relationship between China and Latin America including the Caribbean. Brazil’s 39th head of state and government (the South American country is a presidential republic where the president is vested with strong executive authority precluding for a prime minister) is a former metal worker and trade union

May 12, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Editorial: Statistics – a vital tool for understanding Macau

I spent part of the long Workers’ Day weekend holiday in Zhuhai but still found some time to comb through a bundle of recent statistical economic reports and projections concerning Macau. Perhaps not the most relaxing way to spend one’s holidays, but I’ve been a statistics buff since my university years back in the 1970s.According to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest “World Economic Outlook: A Critical Juncture Amid Policy Shifts”, published last month, forecasts

May 6, 2025 | BY admin

Comment: 0