Kapok | Images speak louder than words

Eric Sautedé

Upon return from Beijing, Macao’s political heavyweights staged a highly official debriefing conference highlighting key points from their study trip and their studious participation in what is commonly referred as the “two sessions”. Interestingly enough, this was done in front of the very same people who, for the most part, had also attended these sessions – delegates to the assemblies, high officials, important businessmen and patriotic smooth operators from Macao.

That this was redundant or even overly repetitive for most of the audience is beyond the point: what matters is that the message gets hammered. The world gets BuzzFeed-like reports candidly spelled out by Xinhua “reporters” Katie Capstick and Roisin Timmins, or even a rap video about the two sessions, and we get ineloquent speeches listing the “four tasks” and the “four supports”, with threatening undertones of dire consequences if stability and social harmony are put to the test.

Ironically, it shows that beyond the catchy nickname of the “two sessions” lies the fact that these eminent figures just wasted more than two weeks attending a rubber-stamp assembly for some (the National People’s Congress) and a toothless advisory body for others (the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference). Premier Li Keqiang’s report was approved by 2,945 members of the NPC, with only three abstentions and no disapproval, so one could even argue that the rubber-stamping has worsened as Mr Li’s first work report back in 2014 was disavowed by 378 delegates!

On the task side, Chui Sai On insisted, first, on maintaining Macao’s overall stability, especially by organizing “legal, impartial, equitable, honest and smooth” elections for the next Chief Executive (far too many adjectives for an uncompetitive selection process), while successfully celebrating the 20th anniversary of the handover (can you see the millions flowing from the Macau Foundation to these patriotic communal associations?). Secondly, he insisted on ensuring the healthy and sustainable economic development of Macao, with the people’s livelihood at heart (Ouh la la, gaming concessionaires might be asked to dedicate more than 10% of their operations to non-gaming activities and then divert part of their war chest to open more casinos in Portuguese-speaking countries!). Thirdly, he focused on promoting the development of the Greater Bay Area (the insistence on the 49 points that concern Macao in the master plan are chilling as it will be unpatriotic not to implement them!); and finally, on making sure the youth of Macao, whose future will necessarily depend on their “love for the nation and love for Macao” (anything scarier than that?), is properly trained and educated.

The “four supports” articulated by Fu Ziying, the director of the Liaison Office, strictly echoed the four tasks delineated by Chui, as if one should not go without the other if the “superiority and vitality” of the “one country, two systems” formula is to be fully demonstrated. Even more anaemic were the speeches of Ma Iao Lai, a standing committee member of the CPPCC for Macao, whose main contribution was to praise the united front work of the Conference to efficiently promote “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”, whereas Ho Iat Seng, the only standing committee member of the NPC for Macao, self-congratulated himself and fellow Macao delegates for having introduced no less than 78 recommendations in the NPC, supposedly all highly appreciated by the staff of the General Office of the Assembly. Former CE Edmund Ho tried to steal the show by warning that all acts committed against “unity and stability” should be banned, but his position also contradicted his earlier claim that he believed “the people of Macao had the wisdom and ability to elect” the right person as the new Chief Executive: since when are the “Macao people” voting in that election?

Ultimately, the real takeaway lies in this family photo, in which the only ones talking are the representatives of the three families that have run Macao since the 1960s, anointing the future CE in front of the central authorities’ representative. The race is on!