State Council appoints Sam Hou Fai as new CE

China’s State Council appointed Sam Hou Fai as Macau’s sixth-term Chief Executive (CE) Friday, according to Xinhua news agency.

His tenure will begin on Dec. 20, following a decision made at a State Council meeting presided over by Premier Li Qiang.

The State Council’s appointment confirms the Oct. 13 election results, in which Sam secured the top post with 394 of 398 possible votes.

During the meeting, Li said, “Over the past 25 years since its return to the motherland, Macau has seen full and faithful implementation of the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ and ushered in the best development situation in history. The Central People’s government will maintain its firm commitment to the letter and spirit of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, under which the people of Macau administer the SAR with a high degree of autonomy.”

Li pledged that the Central People’s Government would fully support the new CE and the new local government in “exercising law-based administration, breaking new ground while upholding fundamental principles, and shouldering their responsibilities.”

He also pledged full support for the CE and his incoming administration in maintaining national security, promoting the region’s economic diversification, improving the well-being of its residents, and building a harmonious and stable society to foster the joint development and prosperity of Macau and the mainland.

Born in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, in May 1962, Sam later moved to Macau, where he joined the first group of Macau’s judicial auditors in 1995. He served in several public posts, including as president of the Court of Final Appeal.