CE marks visit to National University of Singapore by explaining success of ‘One country, two systems’ in Macao
MACAU, August 31 - The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, noted in remarks on Monday (31 August) that this year marks the start of the implementation of the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) (2026-2030). During such a new era, Macao’s development will bring major opportunities to Singapore and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
As a special administrative region of China, and with the support of China’s Central Government, Macao will continue to fully and faithfully implement the “One country, two systems” principle. By actively leveraging its unique advantages, Macao will continuously strengthen cooperation with Singapore and other ASEAN countries, making greater contributions to regional collaboration regarding innovation and development, said the Chief Executive.
Mr Sam delivered a speech, themed “Macao under ‘One Country, Two Systems’: Cooperation Opportunities for Singapore and Southeast Asia”, during a visit to the National University of Singapore.
The Chief Executive arrived in Singapore on Saturday (29 August) for an eight-day official visit covering three Southeast Asian countries: Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
In his Monday speech, Mr Sam gave a briefing on the latest progress and the successful practising of the “One country, two systems” principle. He said that “One country, two systems” with Macao characteristics had achieved success widely recognised around the world. Manifestations of such success include that social stability and ethnic harmony prevail in Macao, that the governance system has increasingly been enhanced, and that the economy has achieved leapfrog development, while people’s livelihoods and wellbeing have continuously improved. Other successes include Macao’s integrating into, and serving, the overall national development strategy; Macao’s development potential expanding significantly; and Macao’s steady strengthening of external exchanges and expansion of its horizons globally.
The Chief Executive summarised three aspects of Macao’s achievements since its return to the motherland. The first is actively fulfilling constitutional responsibilities and safeguarding national security. The second is adhering to “One country” and leveraging the advantages of “two systems”. The third is integrating the core value of “loving the country and loving Macao” throughout the entire system of education and support for young people.
Mr Sam summarised the multi-layered and increasingly frequent exchanges and cooperation between Macao and Singapore over the years, including in areas such as public administration, trade and investment, culture and tourism, and education. He noted that, as an important bridgehead for China’s high-level opening-up and a key window for mutual learning and exchange between Chinese and Western civilisations, Macao leverages the advantages of the “One country, two systems” principle and its strengths of “relying on the motherland while connecting to the world”. By doing so, Macao has become a unique link to connect China with Singapore, other Southeast Asian countries, and nations around the globe, said the Chief Executive.
This year marks the start of the implementation of Macao’s Third Five-Year Plan, noted Mr Sam. Macao will focus on developing the industries earmarked under its “1+4” economic diversification strategy, advance the construction of four major projects, and actively promote appropriate economic diversification. Mr Sam expressed confidence that Macao’s development will bring significant opportunities for Singapore and ASEAN countries.
In this regard, Mr Sam put forward three suggestions.
The first was the value of sharing the major development opportunities brought by “Macao-Hengqin Integration”. The unique institutional and policy strengths of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin are primarily manifested in four key aspects, compared to other cities on the Chinese mainland, he said. They are: the deep integration with Macao of the Cooperation Zone’s positioning and governance system; the Cooperation Zone’s “tier-based management” customs framework; the application of highly competitive “double 15-percent” tax incentives; and Hengqin’s industrial direction having a high level of synchrony with Macao’s, offering complementary advantages.
Hengqin is destined to become a prime location linking domestic and international markets and harnessing the complementary strengths of the “two systems”. Mr Sam extended a sincere invitation to government officials and business leaders, researchers, young people, and entrepreneurs from Singapore and Southeast Asia to visit and explore Macao and Hengqin in person, and jointly seize the development opportunities offered by those places.
Mr Sam’s second suggestion was to welcome active participation in the construction of the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly mentions construction of it as a means to support Macao’s higher education institutions in extending their operations into Hengqin. The MSAR Government attaches great importance to the development of higher education and intends to seize the development opportunities of the University Town as a strategic catalyst, in order to deepen higher education cooperation between Macao and Singapore.
Mr Sam also expressed hope that the National University of Singapore and other higher education institutions in Singapore would further strengthen scientific research collaboration and academic exchanges with universities in Macao. He issued a warm invitation to young students from Singapore to further their studies in the Macao-Hengqin academic hub.
Mr Sam’s third suggestion was on leveraging Macao’s competitive talent recruitment policies to create shared opportunities. The MSAR Government is actively implementing a policy of “attracting, cultivating, retaining, and utilising talent” to build “One Hub” – a hub for international high-end talented people. Since Macao’s Talent Recruitment System was introduced, the MSAR has received and approved many applications from Singaporeans who are experts from within the four key industries identified for Macao’s development. The system has now entered its third phase, continuing to welcome talent from around the world.
In April this year, the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin released a set of measures to support the high-quality development of talent, strengthening coordinated efforts with Macao regarding talent attraction. Together, Macao and Hengqin are building a secure, convenient, and welcoming international environment for global talent to live, work, and thrive, said Mr Sam.
Mr Sam welcomed high-calibre and outstanding professionals from Singapore to invest, establish businesses, and build their careers in Macao and Hengqin.
Singapore plays a vital role within ASEAN, and Macao believes that Singapore can also fulfil a guiding role in promoting overall cooperation between Macao and ASEAN member states, said Mr Sam.
Macao has established mature and solid economic and trade cooperation relations with major ASEAN countries, achieving notable outcomes in areas such as tourism, conventions and exhibitions, halal food, and traditional Chinese medicine. Moving forward, Macao will further strengthen tourism promotion targeting ASEAN countries, developing multilingual and customised tourism products tailored to the characteristics of Southeast Asian markets. By increasing direct flight connections, enhancing entry facilitation, and encouraging closer alignment between Macao’s tourism industry and ASEAN markets, Macao aims to attract more visitors from ASEAN nations.
Meanwhile, Macao will actively expand economic and trade-related engagement with ASEAN countries, supporting reciprocal participation by enterprises at major conventions and exhibitions staged by the respective places. This will promote two-way investment and economic cooperation.
Approximately 180 attendees, including faculty and students from the National University of Singapore, Macao young people and students presently in Singapore, and representatives from relevant enterprises and associations attended the event at which Mr Sam gave his speech.
Following his speech, Mr Sam engaged in exchanges with researchers from the National University of Singapore and representatives of Macao students. He responded to questions on topics including the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Macao’s modern financial sector, and sustainable economic development.
Prior to the speech, the Chief Executive, the Chinese Ambassador to Singapore, Mr Cao Zhongming, and Associate Vice President (Strategic Partnerships) of the National University of Singapore, Mr George Loh, jointly witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for Educational Cooperation between the University of Macau and the National University of Singapore.
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