Xi meets new Macau chief executive

President Xi Jinping meets with Sam Hou Fai, newly elected chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, in Beijing on November 1, 2024. Photo: Xinhua News Agency

President Xi Jinping met with Sam Hou Fai, newly elected chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and recently appointed by the central government, in Beijing on Friday.

The meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In Xi's presence, Premier Li Qiang presented Sam with a State Council decree appointing the latter as director-general of the Macao SAR for a sixth term, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Xi congratulated Sam on his appointment and praised him for maintaining a firm stance of love of country and Macau, fulfilling his duties conscientiously, and contributing to the prosperity and stability of Macau during his long tenure as as President of the Macau Court of Final Appeal.

“In the election, you were nominated and elected by an overwhelming majority, which demonstrates the broad recognition and support of Macau society. The central authorities fully recognize this and have full trust in you,” said Mr. Xi.

Sam won the election with 394 votes in favor out of 398 valid ballots. His term will begin on December 20, 2024, according to a decision made at a meeting of the State Council chaired by Premier Li Qiang. The appointment was made in accordance with the Basic Law of the Macao SAR.

At the State Council meeting on October 25, Premier Li Qiang said the Central People's Government will maintain its firm commitment to the letter and spirit of “one country, two systems” under of which the people of Macau administer Macau with a high level of responsibility. degree of autonomy.

Over the past two decades, Macao has had a very important and obvious characteristic: it has always adhered to the tradition and basic requirements of “loving the country and loving Macao”, said Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong affairs. , Macau and Taiwan from Nankai. University, told the Global Times.

Like Hong Kong, Macau is one of the cities of the Greater Bay Area. With its unique advantages and the continuous support of the central government, Macau is able to further integrate into the overall development of the country by promoting the development of the Greater Bay Area and play a greater role in connecting the country with Portuguese-speaking countries, Mr. Li said.

At the same time, the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the practice of building a community with a shared future for mankind will continue to provide new connotations and new directions for the practice of “one country, two systems” in Macau. HRH, Li Xiaobing said.

Sam was born in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, southern China, in May 1962, and later moved to Macau. He joined Macau's first group of judicial auditors in 1995 and served as president of the Macau Court of Final Appeal before running for office.

The Macau public generally has positive expectations and support for Sam taking on the role of the new director-general of the Macao SAR, Wong Teng-cheong, director of Macao Monthly, told the Global Times on Friday.

Sam lived in Macau for 40 years, during which he served as Chief Justice and President of the Macau Court of Final Appeal for 25 years, gaining a good reputation and influence in the Macau legal community. He also observed the development trends of the SAR through the global perspectives of the previous five leaders, which allowed him to gain knowledge on the management of Macau, Wong said.

Sam was born on the mainland, graduated from Peking University, and moved to Macao in 1986. He has personally experienced the rapid development of the motherland, which will help Macao city become more integrated to the mainland, Wong said.