Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou Fai, who is on a duty visit to Beijing.
During the meeting at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, Xi heard a report from Sam on Macao's current situation and the Macao SAR government's work.
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Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive
Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive
Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive
Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive
Xi said that over the past year, Sam has led the new-term Macao SAR government to forge ahead with resolve, firmly safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
Under Sam's leadership, Macao has successfully conducted the eighth Legislative Assembly election, advanced public administration reforms, and actively participated in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, resulting in new progress across various sectors, said Xi.
Xi said that the central authorities fully recognize the work of Sam and the Macao SAR government.
The fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China highlighted the need to resolutely implement the "one country, two systems" policy, under which the people of Macao administer Macao with a high degree of autonomy, and promote the long-term prosperity and stability in Macao, Xi noted.
He said the Macao SAR government should align actively with the 15th Five-Year Plan, uphold and improve its executive-led government, solidly advance efforts to appropriately diversify Macao's economic development, and better integrate into and contribute to the country's overall development.
Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive
Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive
Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive
Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive
The inaugural International Forum on Mutual Learning Among Civilizations opened in China's Macao Special Administrative Region on Tuesday, attracting over 300 participants.
The forum, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, brings together representatives of government and international organizations, and leading experts from around the world to have dialog and academic exchanges.
Under the theme of "Mutual Learning among Civilizations, Inheritance and Development," the conference features two parallel sub-forums -- "Mutual Learning among Civilizations and Diverse Coexistence" and "Conservation and Sustainable Development of Cultural Heritage"-- alongside a series of academic salons. It will also feature nearly 20 keynote speeches and discussions.
At the forum, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR government O Lam highlighted Macao's historical role as a bridge between civilizations.
"This is Macao, strong in a gentle mood, adhering to tradition in fashion, maintaining peace, harmony, courtesy and integrity. Human civilization has never advanced without exchanges and mutual learning. Macao's recent history of five centuries stands as a living record of the harmonious coexistence and common development of Chinese and Western civilizations. Here, there has been no clash of civilizations, only cultural convergence; no hierarchy of values, only dialog on an equal footing. Macao, with its history of integration of Chinese and Western civilizations, offers practical evidence, and will continue to evidence that the old logic of zero-sum game is unsustainable, while cooperation and harmony represent the true direction of human civilization," she said.
Qian Chengdan, professor of history from Peking University, also underscored the importance of civilizational diversity.
"Diversity of civilizations is among the most fundamental and vital attributes of humankind. It is hard to imagine a world with only one civilization, one voice. If there were only one single civilization and one single voice, mutual learning among civilizations will be out of the question," he said.
Macao hosts inaugural International Forum on Mutual Learning Among Civilizations
