International observers have commended Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent keynote speech on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China, saying that China has achieved an enormous success in advancing the cause of "one country, two systems" with distinctive Macao features.
Abbey Makoe, editor-in-chief of the Global South Media Network, noted that Macao's development has been a success story of "one country, two systems."
"One of the successes among the many successes over the last 25 years as President Xi said yesterday is that, in my opinion at least, was the successful introduction of the legal frameworks that actually assisted in reintegrating Macao into the mainland. You may want to talk about Macao over the last 25 years as a gateway for China into the manner in which China does business or does international relations, particularly with the Portuguese speaking nations," he said in an interview with China Media Group on Saturday.
"The speech of President Xi Jinping speaks to the hearts of a lot of us. Today, we are at a point where Macao is developing at not less than 13 percent per annum in terms of its GDP. What does that show? That shows that the coming back home has worked for Macao. Again, the emphasis on the principle of 'two systems, one country' is working," said Cosmas Musumali, Secretary General of the Socialist Party in Zambia.
Alan Barrell, a professor at the University of Cambridge said the practice of 'one country, two systems' has been pivotal to Macao's transformation into a thriving economic hub.
"What I have seen happening in Macao and read about happening is the way in which since it has become properly reintegrated again as part of the 'one nation, two systems,' new way of doing things. It’s all happening at a time of great changes in the whole of the Greater Bay Area, where we now have the Macao-Zhuhai-Hong Kong Bridge and connectivity is much better than it was and a new program where there's greater access to the greater China market, but also a lot of access to world markets," he said.
International observers also pointed out that the "one country, two systems" principle contained values such as peace, inclusiveness, openness and sharing, which are relevant to not only China but also the whole world.
"President Xi Jinping's speech at the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China is of far-reaching significance, not only for China, but also for the world. In particular, President Xi put forward four hopes for Macao, emphasizing staying committed to the fundamental principle of one country, fully delivering the benefits of two systems. Meanwhile, maintaining high-level security and promoting high-quality development as these are solid guarantees for Macao's various achievements. In addition, the speech also hopes that Macao will leverage its own advantages to connect China and the world. Macao has its own characteristic culture and has advantages in this regard. The practice of 'one country, two systems' has achieved great success in Macao, which has also been recognized by the world," said former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Pinit Jarusombat.
"I think this policy, 'one country and two systems' has increased economy in Macao for the last 25 years. This policy was important to grow the GDP of Macao," said Henrique Nobrega, President of the Brazil-China Friendship Association.
"This year marks the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China. (President Xi's) visit to Macao is crucial, and his speech is also very important. I have been paying attention to it. Macao's development is extraordinary. Hong Kong and Macao are not only contributing to their own development, but also to the development of China," added Willy Meyer Pleite, a former Member of the European Parliament.
Global observers praise Xi's speech on Macao's 25th return anniversary
Global observers praise Xi's speech on Macao's 25th return anniversary
