Macau’s delegates to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) have returned home after a week of annual meetings. The feeling which emerged from the consultations held in Beijing is largely positive, and concrete actions have been called for.
“This year’s session reflected that the nation [Central Government] attached great importance to the suggestions proposed by the Macau delegates. I believe that Macau’s positioning will be clearer in the formulation of the national 13th Five-Year Plan,” said CPPCC delegate Chan Meng Kam, as quoted by TDM.
NPC delegate Ho Iat Seng recognized an improvement in the quality of suggestions being submitted by the Macau delegation, whereas delegate Chui Sai Peng noted that the Congress had responded to their suggestions more quickly this time.
Returning from the NPC meetings, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong, also suggested that Macau youths should learn more about the nation’s development.
The development of Macau as a world-class tourism hub, and the consolidation of the region as an intermediary platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, were just a few of the prominent topics discussed.
Delegate Lei Heong Iok says that now is the time to follow up on the promises made with concrete action. “A long road lies ahead of Macau before our objectives are met. To talk and make promises is not enough. It’s more important to strive for concrete action. That’s the goal of the government of Macau, which is counting on the participation of all sectors to do so,” he told TDM.
This position is mirrored by Chan Meng Kam, who said that greater cooperation with the mainland is needed. “We need to study how to strengthen cooperation with the mainland in order to diversify Macau’s economic development. And in order to foster local talents, we need to cultivate more of them in order to contribute to Macau’s principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’,” he said.
The NPC, as China’s parliamentary body, concluded its annual session yesterday morning, while the session of the nation’s top political advisory body –
CPPCC – concluded on Friday. BY
macau with high degree of autonomy
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said yesterday that Beijing intends to uphold the principles of “One Country, Two Systems” by granting a high degree of autonomy to Macau and Hong Kong. “Some people are worried that the central government will tighten its policy toward Hong Kong. I believe that such worries are not necessary,” Li said during a press conference held after the conclusion of the annual legislative session (see also page 10).
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