Five-Year Plan hailed as milestone as central gov’t says plan ‘guides the future’

The city’s Third Five-Year Plan for the region’s economic and social development, released Tuesday, has been hailed by central government offices as a milestone that will “guide the future” and a key step in the city’s practice of ‘One country, two systems.’

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council said the new five-year plan has thoroughly implemented President Xi Jinping’s important instructions, setting out a higher strategic stance and clearer direction. The spokesperson noted that the plan fully and accurately implements the “one country, two systems” policy, proactively aligns with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, and adheres to the principle of coordinated development and security.

The statement also highlighted that the plan maintains and improves administration-led governance and closely focuses on Macau’s national positioning as “a primary hub, a platform, and a base,” as well as efforts to build an international high-caliber talent magnet. The office said the plan provides top-level design and systematic arrangements for Macau’s development over the next five years and beyond, calling it forward-looking, targeted, and actionable.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Liaison Office said the plan explores a governance model combining a “responsible government” with an “efficient market,” describing the approach as a milestone. The Liaison Office said the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) government has implemented these instructions by integrating law-based governance with public service and responsibility, and by proactively aligning Macau’s work with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan priorities.

The new Five-Year Plan has been praised by central government offices for its extensive public consultation, which drew over 8,000 opinions – more than 90% of which were positive – during a 40-day process. They described it as a “vivid example of quality democracy with Macau characteristics.”

The offices have continued to comment on Macau’s new five-year plan, describing it as pragmatic, ambitious, well-targeted, and actionable, and calling it a guiding document for Macau’s development over the next five years.

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office spokesperson said the plan adheres to reform and innovation, focusing on promoting appropriate economic diversification by identifying four major projects – the Macau-Hengqin International Education (University) Town, the Macau International Integrated Tourism and Culture Zone, the Macau Technology Research Industrial Park, and the Macau International Airport Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal Project – along with a government-guided fund as key drivers for building a new landscape for diversified industrial development. The spokesperson noted that the plan is both goal-oriented and problem-oriented, placing strong emphasis on accelerating the development of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and promoting the integrated development of education, technology, and talent. At the same time, the plan adopts a people-centered approach, dedicating a separate chapter to urban renewal and continuing to improve people’s livelihoods in areas such as education, employment, housing, elderly care, and poverty alleviation.

The Liaison Office spokesperson stressed that the plan sets out a series of key initiatives, including safeguarding national security and social stability, improving governance efficiency, advancing economic diversification, promoting high-quality development of the Hengqin cooperation zone, accelerating urban renewal, ensuring and enhancing people’s wellbeing, and better integrating into and serving the country’s overall development.

The spokesperson noted that the SAR government would draw up lists of key projects, assign responsibilities for key tasks, and identify major reform measures to ensure the plan’s goals are fully implemented, describing the document as a guiding blueprint for Macau’s development over the next five years.

The offices have called on all Macau residents to support the new five-year plan, saying everyone is a participant, implementer, and beneficiary, and expressing confidence that under the leadership of Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, Macau’s future would be even “brighter”.