Macao residents hold high hopes for brighter future under leadership of new government

People from all walks of life in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) hold high hopes for a brighter future under the leadership of Sam Hou Fai who has been elected by an overwhelming majority as the sixth-term chief executive designate of the Macao SAR.

Sam won the election with 394 votes in favor out of 398 valid ballots.

Ho Sut Heng, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and president of the Macao Federation of Trade Unions, highlighted the strong anticipation of the public for the realization of Sam's promises with a focus on law-based governance, effective leadership and unity.

"Mr. Sam Hou Fai's platform has garnered high recognition from the public, so his sweeping election victory today is well-deserved. His policies aim to unite all social sectors, and I believe he will successfully lead Macao in better integrating into the overall national development and build Macao into a better place," Ho said.

"I think the election plays an important role in fully implementing the principle of 'patriots administering Macao'. Each vote for Sam represents the hopes of all sectors in Macao for a brighter future. I firmly believe that the new government of the Macao SAR will steer the region's society towards broader development prospects," said Wong Chi Choi, president of the Macao New Chinese Youth Association.

Young residents of Macao have underlined the significance of the election for the youth, hoping that the new chief executive's platform will create more opportunities for them in the future.

"What resonates with me most from his platform is his commitment to better integrating Macao into the country's overall development, and what's more, how we young people can better contribute to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin. I hope the new government will put up more favorable policies in this regard," Fong Cho Ho said.

"Young people have been paying close attention to the election. After reviewing Mr. Sam Hou Fai's platform, I knew that he has responded to our needs. I hope that under his leadership, the new government of the Macao SAR will create more opportunities for young people and build a better Macao for all," Ou Wing Yan said.

Macao residents hold high hopes for brighter future under leadership of new government

A Chinese analyst Sunday predicted that a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran will continue to hold although plans for a second round of peace talks stalled again in Islamabad, Pakistan, a main mediator.

Wang Jin, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at Northwest University in China, cautioned against overestimating the importance of the talks. He argued that the ceasefire itself remains the most critical factor in the Middle East region.

"I think the ceasefire will continue. That would be good news, but uncertainties remain over the Strait of Hormuz, over the possibilities of whether or not to reaching the kind of agreement. When we're talking about the dialogue in Islamabad between the United States and Iran, I don't think we should overestimate its influence," he said.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz, blocking passage by vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.

An April 8 ceasefire was followed by Iran-U.S. talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12. After the negotiations collapsed, the United States imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, preventing ships to and from Iranian ports from transiting.

A new round of negotiations had been expected in Pakistan this week, but Iran declined to attend, citing continued U.S. naval pressure and "excessive demands."

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will no longer send delegations to talk with Iran. "If they (the Iranians) want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us," he said.

"Too much patience and focus has been paid to these [talks]. But then one thing we have already forgotten is that the ceasefire continues. So from my personal point of view, the meeting is just an excuse for the extension, for the continuation of ceasefire. Whether or not the meeting in Islamabad would take place, we should not overestimate its importance. The ceasefire is the most important thing, the determining thing. So when the ceasefire continues, everything will be fine," Wang said.

US-Iran ceasefire likely to continue despite stalled talks: analyst