Governance, economic diversification, and global engagement mark a landmark year

Senior officials rang in the new year by hailing 2025 as a landmark year for governance and economic diversification, echoing President Xi Jinping’s message with vows for strict constitutional adherence and legal reforms.

The Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau, Beijing’s top body overseeing the semi-autonomous region, said in its statement that Macau had “strictly fulfilled its duties in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law” while “resolutely preventing and opposing external forces from interfering in Macau affairs.”

It described the year as “of great significance in the practice of ‘One country, two systems’ with Macau characteristics,” adding that the city had “thoroughly studied and implemented the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important speeches during his inspection of Macau.”

Liu Xianfa, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Macau, touted a “fruitful” 2025 marked by key milestones.

He cited the successful eighth Legislative Assembly elections in Macau, as well as steady progress in moderate economic diversification and improved governance efficiency in the city.

Liu said external exchanges in 2025 showed “a new look,” with Macau expanding its role as a connector through the construction of “one center, one platform, and one base.”

He recalled the establishment of the China-Portuguese (Spanish) Language Countries Economic and Trade Service Center, alongside deepened pragmatic cooperation with Portuguese-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and high-quality Belt and Road countries.

He also noted significant progress in facilitating the opening up of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, while protecting the rights of Macau residents overseas under the principles of “diplomacy benefiting Macau” and “diplomacy for the people.”

In the realm of culture and meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE), Liu highlighted that Macau was named “Best Asian Conference City” and “Best Conference and Business City” for the second straight year.

“Macau’s international ‘circle of friends’ has expanded, and the international influence and reputation of ‘Macau, China’ have greatly increased,” stated the commissioner.

Looking to 2026, Liu said this year would kick off China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Macau’s third, offering “a period of opportunity” for economic diversification through higher-level opening up and serving China’s diplomacy.

Meanwhile, Zheng Xincong, director of the Macau Liaison Office, framed 2025 as the conclusion of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan amid a “complex and volatile international situation.” Zheng said that under President Xi Jinping’s leadership, China overcame challenges to meet its economic and social goals. These included the “successful convening of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee,” which outlined a development blueprint for the next five years.

The director of the Macau Liaison Office also spotlighted technological advancements, writing that “China’s innovation index ranking jumped to 10th globally, and its number of artificial intelligence patents accounted for 60% of the global total.” Breakthroughs included DeepSeek large-scale models, domestically produced humanoid robots, and the commissioning of the Fujian aircraft carrier.

On sports, he wrote that Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau jointly hosted the 15th National Games for the first time, and the Macao delegation achieved “its best results in history.”

Looking ahead, Zheng pledged that the Liaison Office will support the SAR government in governing according to law and fulfilling their responsibilities. “We will strive to demonstrate new achievements in safeguarding national security and social stability, achieve new breakthroughs in promoting moderately diversified economic development, especially in the construction of Hengqin,” he wrote.

Alignment on rule of law, election integrity

Ao Ieong Seong, Macau’s commissioner against corruption, pledged to align efforts with President Xi Jinping’s expectations by fulfilling duties under the law and advancing legal system improvements, in tune with the chief executive’s vision of “Macau based on the rule of law.”

To that end, the CCAC plans to launch studies this year on the Law on Prevention and Suppression of Corruption in the Private Sector, addressing societal calls for fair employment and shielding residents’ job access from corruption.

The agency also stated it aims to swiftly probe commercial offenses, run awareness campaigns to nurture an honest business culture and fair competition, and provide legal safeguards for Macau’s economic diversification and a cleaner business environment.

The CCAC also noted that the eighth Legislative Assembly elections were recognized in an article by “Gang Ao Ping” from the Hong Kong and Macau Working Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. This outcome, the corruption watchdog said, reflected public opinion and marked a milestone in high-quality democracy under ‘One country, two systems,’ the Constitution, the Basic Law, and Macau’s realities.