At night, the Macau Bridge, adorned with colorful lights, winds like a dragon over the ancient sea known as the "Mirror Sea". This fourth cross sea bridge in Macau, which will open in 2024, is not only a transportation hub between the Macau Peninsula and Taipa, but also the latest channel to help Macau deeply integrate into the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and move towards a prosperous future.
On December 20, 1999, the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macau, and Macau was reintegrated into the national governance system, ushering in a new era of historical development. Macao has also become a window for the world to observe the great initiative of "One Country, Two Systems".
The strong sail returns to Hai'ao, and the door welcomes the wind of thousands of miles. Over the past 25 years since its return, Macau has relied on its motherland as a strong backing, turned around brilliantly in the face of the sun, and matured through trials and tribulations, showcasing to the world the splendid chapter of the successful practice of "One Country, Two Systems" with Macau's unique characteristics.
Deep roots are essential for flourishing branches and lush leaves
Beside the Macau Reunification Memorial Pavilion, a white magnolia stands tall with lush branches and leaves. This was personally planted by the first Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region, Edmund Ho Hau wah, in 2000.
'One country' is the root, deep roots enable lush leaves; 'One country' is the foundation, and only with a solid foundation can one prosper. The 'One Country, Two Systems' policy is like the evergreen green trees in Macau, full of vitality and energy. At the beginning of the return to the motherland, Mr. Ma Wanqi, a well-known figure in Macau, expressed his feelings.
Nowadays, the evergreen tree of 'One Country, Two Systems' has deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Macau and is thriving.
After the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the constitutional order based on the Constitution and the Basic Law of Macao has been firmly established, and the governance system has become increasingly perfect. With the full support of the central government, Macau has developed into an internationally renowned city with abundant resources, smooth governance, and harmonious people, creating the best development situation in history.
Adhering to the foundation of "one country" and making good use of the benefits of "two systems", Macao has gained a continuous stream of momentum and achieved many impressive results that have amazed the world:
——After the return, Macau's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from 51.9 billion Macau dollars (MOP) in 1999 to 444.5 billion Macau dollars in 2019, maintaining an average annual growth rate of 11%, ranking among the top developed economies. After a stable transition in epidemic prevention and control, Macau's GDP growth in 2023 will reach as high as 80.5%;
——From 1999 to 2023, the per capita GDP of Macau increased from 15000 US dollars to 69000 US dollars;
——From 1999 to 2023, the unemployment rate in Macau decreased from 6.3% to 2.7%;
——The median monthly working income of the employed population in Macau has increased from about 5000 yuan at the beginning of the handover to about 20000 yuan in 2023.
25 years ago, I came to Macau for tourism. When I came to Macau again in 2018, I found that the changes in this city were nothing short of miraculous, "said Qu Weishi, CEO of Banco Nacional Ultramarino and a Portuguese national. Thanks to the advantage of" one country, two systems ", some international companies see Hong Kong and Macau as a bridge to enter the mainland Chinese market. On the contrary, some mainland companies may choose to test the waters in Hong Kong and Macau if they want to internationalize.
The 25-year-old Macau SAR has won multiple proud international titles:
——In the 2024 Forbes magazine's ranking of the richest countries (regions), Macau ranks second in the world and first in Asia;
——In 2023 and 2024, Macau was selected as the "Best Asian Conference City" and "Best Conference Business City" respectively due to its outstanding performance in the exhibition industry;
——In the cultural city naming event jointly initiated by China, Japan, and South Korea, the Macao Special Administrative Region was awarded the title of "East Asian Cultural Capital" for 2025.
The 'One Country, Two Systems' policy is a pioneering undertaking, "said He Yicheng, the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region. Over the past 25 years, under the strong leadership of the central government and the support of the great motherland, as well as the joint efforts of various sectors of Macao society and residents, and the continuous struggle of previous governments of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Macao has created remarkable development achievements in politics, economy, society, and people's livelihood that have attracted worldwide attention.
Patriotism and love for Australia forge the foundation of sentiment
At 8 o'clock in the morning, on the playground of Macau Vocational High School, ten teenagers stood in two teams and walked confidently to the flag raising platform, gazing up at the rising five-star red flag amidst the national anthem.
"Every time I watch the national flag rise, I am proud of myself as a Chinese and a strong country," said Yuan Zhaojun, a member of the national flag team and a senior one student.
On October 1, 1949, Principal Du Lan of Haojiang Middle School led all teachers and students to raise the first five-star red flag in Macau on campus. Today, all schools in Macau are fully covered by the national flag. Basic law education is included in various stages of primary, secondary, and tertiary education, with the Constitution and Basic Law being listed as compulsory courses in universities.
Gong Zhiming, Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, stated that Macao has established venues such as the Family and National Conditions Museum and the Youth Patriotic Love Macao Education Base to enrich students' diverse learning experiences of the country and Macao's history.
Over the past 25 years, various sectors of Macau society have achieved broad unity under the banner of patriotism and love for Macau. The forces of patriotism and love for Macau have always dominated social and political life, laying a solid foundation for the effective governance of the SAR government in accordance with the law and ensuring the successful implementation of "One Country, Two Systems" in Macau.
In 2009, Macau took the lead in fulfilling its constitutional responsibility as stipulated in Article 23 of the Basic Law and formulated the Macau Law on Safeguarding National Security; The Special Administrative Region Committee for Safeguarding National Security, chaired by the Chief Executive, was established in 2018; Establish National Security Affairs Advisor and Technical Advisor in 2021; For seven consecutive years, the "National Security Education Exhibition for All" has been held in the Macao Special Administrative Region. The region has always prioritized safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, continuously improving the legal system for safeguarding national security, and steadily enhancing the sense of patriotism among residents and young people.
The National Education (Macau) Association has been organizing annual youth national knowledge competitions since 2009, with record breaking numbers of participants. Although Macau is small, it cares about its country and will definitely be passed down to the next generation. "Wang Haitao, President of the National Education (Macau) Association, believes that the more Macau people understand their motherland, the stronger their sense of identity will be.
Backed by the motherland, polishing Macau's "golden business card"
In the vast universe, there is a star named "Macau". The first space science satellite jointly developed by mainland China and Macao, "Macao Science-1", constantly monitors changes in the Earth's magnetic field.
The 'Aoke-1' has great influence in the field of global geomagnetic science and is a hard core high-tech business card for Macau, "said Zhang Keke, Associate Vice President of the Macau University of Science and Technology and Dean of the Macau Institute of Space Technology and Applications. This is also a successful example of cooperation between Macau and the mainland under the 'One Country, Two Systems' policy.
According to an article in Hong Kong's Asia Weekly, as early as 1582, Matteo Ricci came to Macau, bringing with him the most advanced scientific research in the West at that time. He made good use of the unique position of this small town and opened up cultural exchanges between the East and the West. In the 21st century, Macau is exploring the most modern technological frontiers.
After Macao's return to the motherland, the Ministry of Science and Technology has approved the establishment of four State Key Laboratory in Macao. Nowadays, Macao has a solid foundation in the fields of traditional Chinese medicine quality research, space science, health science, etc. High level scientific research achievements continue to emerge, and technological innovation has become a new calling card for Macao.
The dominance of one industry has long plagued the economic and social development of Macau. How to move from "gambling" to "diversification" in economic development has always been a test question for Macau people.
The Macao Special Administrative Region implements the central requirements and takes greater action to achieve moderate and diversified economic development, "said Li Weinong, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government.
On November 1, 2023, the "Macao Special Administrative Region Economic Moderate Diversified Development Plan (2024-2028)" was announced. This is the first comprehensive and systematic industrial development plan in Macau, based on the positioning of "one center, one platform, one base", and based on the "1+4" moderately diversified economic development strategy, it is aligned with the national "14th Five Year Plan" and the Macau Special Administrative Region's "2nd Five Year Plan".
In the "1+4" framework, "1" refers to promoting diversified development of tourism and leisure, optimizing, refining, and strengthening the comprehensive tourism and leisure industry in accordance with the goal of building a world tourism and leisure center; '4' is to continuously promote the development of four key industries, including big health, modern finance, high-tech, exhibition and commerce, and cultural and sports.
Currently, Macau is striving to gradually increase the proportion of emerging industries in its economic structure. The Macao Special Administrative Region will continue to consolidate and make good use of its unique advantages, fully promote moderate and diversified economic development, and polish the 'golden business card' of Macao as an international metropolis, promoting high-quality economic and social development, "said Li Weinong.
Integrating into the overall development of the country and writing a new chapter
Guanzha is the busiest land port in Macau. The narrow road connecting Guanzha and the arched road, located at the foot of Lianhua Mountain, was formerly known as the "Lotus Stem".
Nowadays, the flow of people at Guanzha Port is still overwhelming, but it is no longer the only one standing out.
The total number of inbound and outbound passengers at the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge and Hengqin ports in 2024 has both exceeded 20 million, setting a new historical high; The Qingmao Port, which has been open for more than 3 years, only takes 30 seconds to clear customs. As of September this year, about 68 million people have "slid" through customs. The "Australian cars heading north" and "Shenzhen Cooperation Zone effect" have driven the prosperity of various ports in Zhuhai and Macau.
"Because Macao is in the Greater Bay Area and has the support of 'one country, two systems', it has always been optimistic about Macao's development," said Shen Dade, an American who has taught at the University of Macao for more than ten years. In 2023, the bridge connecting the University of Macau and Hengqin Port will be officially opened, and it only takes a few minutes for Shen Dade to travel from the University of Macau to Hengqin.
The construction of the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Deep Cooperation Zone is the focus and stage for Macao's integration into the Greater Bay Area. In February 2019, the "Outline of the Development Plan for the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area" was released, clarifying that Macao is one of the four central cities in the Greater Bay Area and the core engine of regional development. In September 2021, the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Deep Cooperation Zone was established, opening a new chapter in the development of "Qin Macao Integration".
With strong support from the central government, the Lotus Port in Macau has been relocated in stages to Hengqin and implemented 24-hour customs clearance. The new customs clearance model of "cooperative inspection and one-time release" has reduced the clearance time from half an hour to one minute, realizing the dream of a livable, business friendly, and tourist friendly "one hour living circle" in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area.
On March 1st of this year, the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Shenzhen Cooperation Zone officially implemented branch line management, opening up the "first line" of goods and controlling the "second line", providing high convenience for personnel entry and exit, and injecting stronger momentum into the moderate and diversified development of Macao's economy, supporting Macao's better integration into the national development situation, and continuously enriching the new practice of "one country, two systems".
Nowadays, science and technology innovation enterprises are practicing "scientific research in Macau and transformation in Hengqin", and Macau residents enjoy the convenience of "living in Macau and working in Hengqin", gradually building a new model of Qin Macau linkage development of "Macau platform+international resources+Hengqin space+achievement sharing".
As of July this year, the total number of Australian enterprises in the cooperation zone reached 6365, an increase of 37.27% compared to three years ago. In the first half of this year, the added value of Australian funded industries in the cooperation zone was 1.881 billion yuan, an increase of 125.9%.
The Hengqin "Macau New Neighborhood" project has attracted the first batch of Macau residents. This is the first comprehensive livelihood project jointly built by Guangdong and Macau for Macau residents. The key cross-border livelihood project in Qinhuangdao and Macau, the Macau Light Rail Hengqin Line, officially opened on December 2, providing more comfortable and convenient cross-border travel for residents of Qinhuangdao and Macau.
The spring tide surges in the South China Sea, and the wind is strong enough to set sail. On the new journey of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, the "Macau" train, which has returned to the motherland for 25 years, has entered the fast lane of stable development, sounding the horn and playing the song of Haojiang in the new era.