Macao proves success of 'one country, two systems' for 20 years

BEIJING, Dec. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on Macao's successful practice of "one country, two systems":

Macao, a Chinese city on the coast of the South China Sea, like Hong Kong, experienced colonial rule for a long time. On Dec. 20, 1999, Macao was officially returned to the motherland by Portugal.

However, unlike Hong Kong, now experiencing a serious test, Macao has remained prosperous and stable.

After returning to the motherland, Macao's regional GDP in 2018 stood at 444.7 billion Macao patacas, compared to 51.9 billion Macao patacas in 1999, with the unemployment rate falling from 6.4% to 1.8% over the same period.

It's noteworthy that, on the eve of the return, Macao had suffered a continuous economic decline, as people were worried about its future and the implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy. However, in the past two decades, Macao has maintained continuous and prosperous development, benefiting from the great importance given by the Chinese central government to various national strategies. Besides the gambling industry, Macao's potential has been tapped in many other fields, such as connecting China and the West in terms of trade and culture, developing industries based on science, technology and finance, and promoting the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. Today, Macao is one of the world's fastest growing economies, and has one of the world's highest levels of per capita GDP.

Macao shares a similar history and is under the same policy as Hong Kong. However, it has remained politically stable with balanced development of economy and society. It has also gradually integrated into China's governance system and development plan. An important reason for this, besides the differences with Hong Kong in regards to population and environment, is that Macao has found effective ways and gained positive experiences in implementing the "one country, two systems" policy in line with its own conditions.

When formulating the Basic Law of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), the drafting team borrowed experiences from work related to the Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR, besides considering Macao's special conditions. The law is more rigorous and reasonable in stipulations on administrative dominance and democracy, thus avoiding the possibility of forming a "weak government" incapable of effective governance. Meanwhile, Macao's social security and public welfare systems are able to meet the changing needs of local people and disadvantaged groups amid rapid social development.

More importantly, the Macao society, with various social organizations, has a strong sense of patriotism. Such a political environment and various mechanisms ensure that Macao is run by people who love the motherland. They can better integrate local ideas and local interests into the country's overall plans. They have a deeper understanding and show stronger support to domestic projects and international proposals, such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past 20 years, Macao's success in implementing "one country, two systems" has proven that the policy is correct and vibrant. We have every reason to believe that it can provide some positive experiences for Hong Kong's governance and Taiwan's return.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

Macao proves success of 'one country, two systems' for 20 years
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2019-12/19/content_75529342.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn