Wen Hongyan, Mao Lei, Wang Yao, People’s Daily
Macao, over the past 20 years since its returning to China, has embraced better development and become more beautiful. Its people have also experienced increased sense of happiness and gain.
“It’s not a secret that Macao citizens, especially senior citizens, enjoy great social welfare. That’s why people say ‘it is a blessing to grow old in Macao’,” said Pou Sam Chan, member of Consultative Committee on Municipal Affairs, Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM).
During the first half of the past 20 years, Macao focused on economic development. Then it spent the second half improving people’s livelihood.
From 1999 to 2018, the region had managed to achieve leapfrog development and become one of the world’s frontrunners regarding per capita GDP. During this period, its GDP had increased from 51.9 billion patacas (about $6.46 billion) to 444.7 billion patacas, while its per capita GDP jumped from 120,000 patacas to 670,000 patacas.
The continuous economic growth and sufficient fiscal revenue allowed the government of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) to largely raise its expenditure on people’s livelihood. That’s how the current social and political stability of the region is secured.
“I have witnessed and taken part in the construction and development of Macao,” said Paulina, a 40-year-old Macao citizen who studied at Macao Institute for Tourism Studies 20 years ago.
“I was born in Macao. My mother is Portuguese, and my father’s origin is in Guangdong province. He told me and my two sisters that we are Chinese since we were little,” said Paulina.
When she first stepped in the convention and exhibition industry, Paulina mostly organized meetings of around 50 people, and all she needed were a conference room and a microphone, she introduced, adding that now the largest event organized by her company involved more than 21,000 participants.
Official statistics showed that more than 333,000 people visited Macao SAR for conferences and exhibitions in the first quarter of this year, up 15 percent from a year ago.
Today, the convention and exhibition industry has become an integral part of the diversified development of Macao.
“Children in Macao don’t need to pay for schooling, though they still need to pay a little tuition for extra-curricular classes,” said Cheong Wai Kam, a mother of a 7-year-old.
In 2007, Macao SAR started 15-year free compulsory education covering kindergarten, primary and secondary education. The region’s primary health care system has been rated as a role model for the Pacific region. The average life expectancy of Macao citizens has reached 84 years.
Besides, the Macao SAR government has built 51,000 houses for middle- and low-income citizens. Macao has turned its dream into reality that every child has access to education, every patient receives treatment, every senior citizen is taken care of, every resident has a home, and every disabled person is respected.
The Hengqin campus of the University of Macau (UM), which is half an hour’s drive away from downtown Macao, is a well-equipped university with tranquil environment. Its facilities, such as the library, are open to the public.
“UM is one of the best universities on the west coast of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. We will leverage the institutional strength and internationalization of the Macao SAR to make greater efforts to attract high-level talents from the world to Macao and the area, so as to drive forward and promote the comprehensive development of the area,” said Song Yonghua, rector of University of Macau.
As “one country, two systems” policy provides institutional advantages and policy guarantee for the sustainable development of Macao, both the SAR government and the Macao residents believe that the region should actively integrate itself into the national development of the country and take part in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as well as respond to the needs of the motherland while giving full play to Macao’s strengths.
“Macao has a clear understanding of its role. It is a world-class tourism and leisure centre, a commerce and trade cooperation service platform between China and Lusophone countries, and a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist.
Among all the 11 cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Macao is the one who enjoys the most profound history and tradition of cultural exchanges between China and Western countries,” said Ho lat Seng, the fifth chief executive of the Macao SAR.
“Other cities cannot replace the role of Macao,” said Ho, adding that Macao is able to gradually turn cultural exchanges into industries.
Macao is a place where the passionate Macau Grand Prix and the traditional lifestyles of the A-Ma Temple perfectly co-exist. It mixes ancient styles with modernity and hurly-burly with tranquility. It’s where diversified cultures merge and spark with new ideas.
Although it is a small city, Macao is full of potential and vitality. By marching forward with the country, Macao is bound to achieve greater success with its practice of the “one country, two systems” principle.
Tourists go sightseeing at the Ruins of St. Paul’s, a world cultural heritage site in Macao. (Photo by Zhou Songlin)
Performers from the Macau Fresh Fish Commercial Association perform “drunken dragon dance”. (Photo by Tam Chan Ieong, Courtesy of the Chinese Cultural Exchange Association)
Tourists take photos at Travessa da Paixão, dubbed the “romantic lane” in Macao. (Photo by Liang Yanjia, Courtesy of the Chinese Cultural Exchange Association)
澳门：多元发展 未来可期
人民日报记者 温红彦 毛磊 王尧 程龙
回归祖国 20年，澳门长大了、变美了，澳门人的幸福感、获得感更强了。
“澳门人福利好众所周知，尤其是老年人，有一句话叫做‘老在澳门是一种福气’。”澳门市政署市政咨询委员会委员陈溥森说。
前十年发展经济，后十年改善民生。澳门本地生产总值从1999年的519亿元幅增至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，位列世界前茅。经济持续增长，财政收入充盈后，政府大幅提高民生支出，抓住了民生这个最大的政治，成就了今天澳门政治社会稳定的良好局面。
“我亲身见证并参与了澳门的建设和发展！”1999年，车雪芬20岁，是澳门旅游学院的一名大学生。“我在澳门出生，妈妈是葡萄牙人，爸爸祖籍广东。从小爸爸就告诉我们姊妹三人：我们是中国人！”车雪芬说，刚开始从事酒店会展业的时候，接待的大多是50人的会议，只需要用一个会议室一个麦克风。现在最大规模的活动是21000多人，要动用我们公司所有的酒店。据政府统计，今年第一季度，澳门已经接待超过33.3万人参加会议及展览，与去年相比有15%的增长。如今的会展业已成为澳门多元化产业中不可或缺的组成部分。
“澳门小孩上学不用花钱，当然，课外班还是要付一点学费的。”家有7岁学童的澳门市民张惠琴说。从2007年开始实行从幼稚园到高中的15年免费教育；初级卫生保健体系被世界卫生组织评为“太平洋地区典范”，居民人均寿命达到84岁；政府主导建成5.1万套公共房屋，保障中低收入人群安居需求……幼有所育、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居、弱有所扶的蓝图正在澳门成为鲜活的现实。
从澳门繁华的市中心驱车经西湾大桥一路往南，半小时车程就到了澳门大学横琴校区。学校设施齐全、环境清幽，图书馆等设施面向市民开放。澳门大学校长宋永华说：“澳门大学是大湾区西岸综合实力最强的大学之一，我们将结合利用澳门特区的制度优势和国际化优势，加大力度为澳门和大湾区引进国际高水平人才，以人才为引擎和动力，推动大湾区整体发展。”
“一国两制”为澳门持续发展提供了制度优势和政策保障，积极融入国家发展大局和“一带一路”，响应“国家所需”，施展“澳门所长”，成为特区政府和民间的广泛共识。“澳门的定位很清晰，就是‘一个中心，一个平台，一个基地’。大湾区11个城市里面，澳门有比较深厚的中西文化交流的历史传统，其他城市替代不了澳门，澳门可以在做好文化交流之后，再将其逐步转化为产业。”澳门特区第五任行政长官贺一诚说。
这边是格兰披治赛车的速度与激情，那边是妈阁庙的烟火与家常。古老与现代，喧嚣与平淡，共冶一炉，多元文化无缝对接、交融激荡。小城澳门，如一杯清茶回味悠长，似盛开的莲花吐露芬芳。与祖国同行，共享荣光，澳门特色的“一国两制”成功实践铸就濠江辉煌！
