Tian Li, Sun Liji, People’s Daily
Macao has achieved remarkable progress since it returned to China 20 years ago, and the changes it experienced are obvious to all.
It has grown into one of the world’s fastest-growing regions, enjoying top-notch per capita GDP.
Macao’s GDP made leapfrog development, growing from 51.9 billion mop ($6.48 billion) in 1999 to 444.7 billion mop last year, and its per capita GDP also increased to 670,000 mop from 120,000 mop during the same period.
It’s a hard-won achievement for Macao, as the past 20 years was not plain sailing. It had been impacted by the SARS virus, hit by the financial crisis and traumatized by Typhoon Hato.
In 2002, the government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) freed up its gambling sector. The decision brought a quick pickup of the region’s economy, but also posed a threat that the industry might be made into an only prospering sector of the Macao society.
A year later, the Macao SAR government proposed to appropriately diversify its economy and vowed to build Macao into a world-class tourism and leisure center in 2007. Guaranteeing the healthy development of tourism, Macao is making huge efforts to advance emerging sectors such as convention and exhibition, traditional Chinese medicine, specialized financial services and cultural and creative industries.
“Macao has always stuck to its advantages – tourism and resort industries,” said Matthew Liu, professor with the University of Macau.
Liu believes that the 20 years of economic growth of Macao came from the successful implementation of the “One country, Two systems” principle and the strong support offered by the central government, as well as the joint efforts made by the diligent and plain Macao residents, and the correct positioning of the Macao SAR government.
Fo Kion is a third-generation settler in Macao who has served as a policeman and been engaged in leather business. Now he is thriving in food trade.
The 60-year-old man has witnessed the changes that the city went through, saying the country has offered many favorable policies during the past 20 years, and that’s what guaranteed the sound development of Macao. “My experience is the best proof,” he noted.
In 2003, the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) was inked by the mainland and Macao, promoting the economic growth of the SAR together with the continuously deepening cooperation in the pan-Pearl River Delta.
To develop into a world-class tourism and leisure center and to build a commerce and trade cooperation service platform between China and Lusophone countries were included in China’s Twelfth and Thirteenth Fiver-Year Plans to appropriately diversify the region’s economy.
As a micro economy, Macao has long suffered from its economic size. In 2009, the State Council formally approved Hengqin, Zhuhai as a demonstration zone to explore new models of cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao under the framework of the “One country, two system” framework, and Hengqin substantially expanded the development space for Macao.
In the past 20 years, Macao’s position has been more and more clear, and its advantages well complement the demand of the country.
Due to historical reasons, Macao has an extensive connection with Lusophone countries that have a combined population of 250 million. In 2003, the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries was established.
Two years ago, the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Co-operation and Development Fund was found in Macao. The $1-billion fund will mainly invest in agriculture, manufacture, and energy industries of Mozambique, Angola, and Brazil, offering financial services for the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Macao’s position becomes even clearer as the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was issued Feb. this year. The plan aims to develop Macao into a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist.
The Greater Bay Area covering Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong creates huge possibilities for Macao.
Macao, with its small piece of land and population, can only give full play to its advantages and avoid its shortages by cooperating with surrounding cities, Liu remarked.
“The Greater Bay Area, with a population of nearly 67 million, enjoys rich human resources and market, and is able to attract more capital. Macao can even promote its business models to the entire mainland market through the Area,” Liu said.
He took beef noodle as an example, saying that the noodle can be sold to only 600,000 people in Macao, but in the future, it will be sold to the entire mainland, including Xi’an, Nanning and Chongqing.
During the past 20 years, major development strategies such as the CEPA, the pan-Pearl River Delta cooperation, the Belt and Road construction, and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have created opportunities for Macao again and again. Macao is not closely connected with the mainland, with frequent exchanges of personnel and economic cooperation.
Joining hands and supporting each other, the mainland and Macao will jointly create a better future.
Photo shows a night view of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. (Photo by Wu Jiayi, Courtesy of the Chinese Cultural Exchange Association)
Photo shows the Travessa da Paixão, dubbed the “romantic lane” in Macao. (Photo by Anson Leong,Courtesy of the Chinese Cultural Exchange Association)
Photo shows the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. (Photo by Chan Hin Io,Courtesy of the Chinese Cultural Exchange Association)
找准定位澳门实现跨越式发展
人民日报记者 田 丽 孙立极
全球经济增长最快的地区之一、人均GDP最高的地区之一、人类发展指数位居世界前列……回归20年，澳门发展成绩亮眼，变化有目共睹。
回归20年，澳门本地生产总值从1999年的519亿元（澳门元，下同）,增加到2018年的4447亿元，实现了跨越式发展；人均GDP也由1999年的12万元跃升至2018年的67万元；居民失业率从6.4%下降到1.7%左右。
成绩得之不易，对澳门来说，20年并不平顺，历经“非典”疫情的冲击、金融危机的震荡、“天鸽”台风的重创；20年不乏困扰，2002年，特区政府适度开放博彩经营权，带动整体经济快速回暖，却也埋下了博彩业一业独大的隐患。
2003年，特区政府提出“促进经济适度多元发展”；2007年，提出建设“世界旅游休闲中心”。在确保旅游业健康发展的同时，着力推动会议展览业、中医药、特色金融、文化创意等新兴产业稳步前行。
“澳门始终坚守自己的最有优势的旅游和度假领域。”澳门大学教授刘丁己认为，澳门20年经济成长，归功于“一国两制”成功实践、中央政府的大力支持，归功于勤奋、朴素的澳门人的共同努力，归功于澳门特区政府的正确定位。
霍润是到澳门的第三代，当过警察，做过皮革生意，现在做食品贸易正是风生水起。1999年，他40岁，亲历这座城市的发展变化。他说：“20年回归，国家给了特别多、特别好的政策，澳门才能发展得这么好。我的经历就是最好的见证。”
回首20年风雨，祖国一直与澳门同在。
2003年“非典”之后，游客稀少，中央开放内地居民赴澳门个人游，内地来客迅速成为澳门的主力游客；2003年签署《内地与澳门关于建立更紧密经贸关系的安排》（简称CEPA），以及泛珠三角地区合作不断深化，促进了澳门经济增长；澳门建设世界旅游休闲中心的“一中心”、中国与葡语国家商贸合作服务平台的“一平台”写入国家十二五、十三五规划，促进澳门经济适度多元……
作为微型经济体，“小”是澳门发展的最大瓶颈。2009年国务院将横琴规划为“一国两制”下探索“粤港澳合作新模式”的示范区，大大开拓了澳门的发展空间。
“国家所需、澳门所长”，20年来，澳门的定位越来越清晰。因为历史原因，澳门与人口超过2.6亿的葡语国家联系广泛。2003年中国—葡语国家经贸合作论坛在澳门成立。2017年“中葡合作发展基金”总部在澳门揭幕，这一总规模为10亿美元的基金，主要用于投资莫桑比克、安哥拉、巴西等国的农业、制造业及能源业项目，为“一带一路”建设提供金融服务。
2019年2月发布的《粤港澳大湾区发展规划纲要》，为澳门提出更明确的定位：打造“以中华文化为主流、多元文化共存的交流合作基地”，即“一中心、一平台、一基地”。
包括香港、澳门和广东9城市在内的粤港澳大湾区，给澳门带来巨大想像空间。刘丁己说，澳门人少地小，与周边城市合作，才能发挥优势、规避短板。融入大湾区后，“将近6700万人口的大湾区，人才够多、市场够大，也就可以吸引更多资金。甚至还可以借助大湾区，把商业模式复制到整个内地市场。以卖牛腩面为例，在澳门最多只能卖给60万人吃，将来可以卖到西安、南宁、重庆……整个内地，这是有多少亿人的市场空间。”
20年来，伴随CEPA、泛珠三角区域合作、共建“一带一路”、粤港澳大湾区建设等重大发展战略，澳门迎来一次次机遇。20年，小小莲岛与广阔大陆越来越密不可分，人员往来频密、经济合作紧密，命运更水乳交融地联结在一起，风雨同舟、携手奋进，共同创造更加美好的未来。
