Xi visits casino hub Macao to mark 25 years of its return to Chinese rule

MACAO (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday began a three-day visit to Macao to mark the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule.

Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were welcomed at the airport by a lavish ceremony with lion and dragon dances. Xi told reporters that Macao, a former Portuguese colony of 687,000 people, is “the pearl in the motherland’s palm.”

“I believe that as long as we fully leverage the institutional advantages of ‘one country, two systems,' dare to strive hard, and have the courage to innovate, Macao will certainly create an even better tomorrow,” he said.

Like neighboring financial hub Hong Kong, Beijing has ruled Macao under the “one country, two systems” principle that allows the cities to retain their own Western-style legal and economic systems. Macao is the only city in China where casino gambling is legal.

Since the 1999 handover from Portugal to China, Macao has transformed from a monopoly-driven casino hub into the world’s biggest gambling center that's been flooded by tourists, mainly from mainland China.

Over the years, violent crimes linked to organized crime were brought to heel. Older residents generally considered their fortunes have improved under Chinese rule, pointing to better welfare and annual cash handouts backed by huge gaming tax reserves.

But following huge anti-government protests in 2019 in nearby Hong Kong, authorities have further tightened control in the city although political activism there did not pose the same threat to Beijing.

A vigil commemorating China’s bloody 1989 military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests was banned. Pro-democracy figures were barred from joining the legislative election in 2021. Last year, the city toughened its national security law and vocal political dissent has largely been silenced.

China's leadership is more concerned about diversifying Macao's economy, which has been heavily reliant on the gaming and tourism sectors.

Its incoming leader Sam Hou Fai, who was elected by about 400 Beijing loyalists in October, said the economic diversification is a key issue. The former top judge promised to accelerate plans to boost tourism and other sectors such as traditional medicines, finance, tech, exhibitions and commerce.

However, the city remains reliant on the gambling industry for revenues to support welfare programs and other goals laid out by Beijing, analysts say.

Xi will attend the inauguration ceremony of the new government on Friday and is expected to lay out his expectations for the city.

China has helped promote Macao's development by designating a special zone on neighboring Hengqin island in Zhuhai city that Macao and mainland Chinese authorities will jointly run.

Security has tightened during Xi's visit, including a ban on flying drones between Dec.14-22.

Leung reported from Hong Kong.

China's President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan wave as they arrive at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

China's President Xi Jinping, center, speaks upon his arrival at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

China's President Xi Jinping, right, speaks upon his arrival at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

Children wave the flags of China and Macao prior to Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

China's President Xi Jinping, center left, and his wife Peng Liyuan alight from their aircraft after arriving at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

China's President Xi Jinping, center right, shakes hands with outgoing Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng as he arrives at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

China's President Xi Jinping, left, and his wife Peng Liyuan, right, arrive at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

China's President Xi Jinping, center, greets children waving the flags of China and Macao, as his wife Peng Liyuan, right, looks on upon arrival at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

China's President Xi Jinping speaks upon his arrival at the airport in Macao, China, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the casino city’s return to Chinese rule. (Eduardo Leal/Pool Photo via AP)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — This rematch between the Australian Open finalists was lopsided and Aryna Sabalenka flipped the outcome with a straight-sets win over Madison Keys.

Top-ranked Sabalenka broke Keys' in five straight service games on the way to a 6-3, 6-3 win in 1 1/2 hours Friday to reach the semifinals of the Brisbane International, an important tuneup event for the Australian Open which begins Jan. 18.

“I didn’t really have the throwback to the Australian Open last year, to be honest," Sabalenka said. "I know that I lost in Australia against her and it's a big motivation, of course, to go out and get the win.

"But I always look into the (next) match as like a new match against a new player. That's my approach."

The defending Brisbane champion will next take on 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova, who had a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over Elena Rybakina to end a 13-match streak for the No. 3 seed. Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula had a 6-3, 7-6 (3) quarterfinal win over No. 10 Liudmila Samsonova and will face either Mirra Andreeva or Marta Kostyuk in the semis.

Muchova has the better of the career head-to-head meetings against WTA Finals champion Rybakina. She also has a 3-1 record against No. 1 Sabalenka.

“Doesn’t matter if I’m the one who is leading head-to-head or I’m the one who is losing — I don’t care,” Sabalenka said, adding that her focus is to control the kinds of emotions that derailed her sometimes when she was younger.

“In the past, I could lose a match because I’d be so frustrated. Now I’m just trying to move on like, ‘OK, whatever,'” she said. “I feel like it’s been working well for me.”

Keys will head to Adelaide aiming to retain the title there and then hope to repeat the sequence from 2025, when she went on to win her first Grand Slam title two weeks later in Melbourne.

“Hopefully I can gain and then just keep a lot of momentum going,” she said. “Hopefully there is many more firsts to come.”

On a warm Friday afternoon on Pat Rafter Arena, Sabalenka got the first service break in the seventh game and then took six of the next seven games. Keys broke serve to open the second set in the only interruption in that sequence.

The 30-year-old American faced immense pressure on her second serve, finishing the match with eight double-faults and winning just 33% of points on her second serve.

Keys saved two match points in the eighth game of the second set but it barely slowed down Sabalenka, who served out at love.

Sabalenka has two straight-set wins over Keys — the other was 6-0, 6-1 at Indian Wells — since that loss at Melbourne Park almost 12 months ago. She also reached the French Open final, won the U.S. Open and finished the competitive season with a runner-up finish at the WTA Finals.

Earlier at the Brisbane tournament, she described the season schedule as “insane” and said she’ll risk fines in order to skip tournaments to avoid injuries or burnout. Still, she wants as much competition as possible before the season's first major.

“I’m just trying to get some matches, get some wins,” she said, "and get the rhythm going again.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Aryna Sabalenka serves against Nick Kyrgios during their Battle of the Sexes tennis match, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday Dec. 28, 2025. (Amr Alfiky/Pool Photo via AP)