Opinion

Central government's support key for Macao's prosperity

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-18 11:35

BEIJING: A senior official with the Liaison Office of the Central Government in Macao said Wednesday that the central government's support is the key for Macao's prosperity.

"Since Macao's return to the motherland ten years ago, the central government hasn't taken a dime from Macao. Instead, it has been strongly supportive to Macao," Bai Zhijian, director of the Liaison Office of the Central Government in Macao, told Xinhua.

Taking the post in 2001, Bai has witnessed the adoption of many major policies by the central government regarding Macao.

In October 2003, the Chinese mainland and Macao signed the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) and six additional agreements were signed in the next six years.

After the CEPA took effect in 2004, the Chinese mainland imposed zero tariff on 273 commodity items "made in Macao." That year, the trade volume between the Chinese mainland and Macao reached $830 million, a 25 percent increase year on year.

Also, the mainland released a series of policies to help Macao cope with the global financial crisis, including granting mainland individual tourists access to Macao, supporting medium and small-sized Macao companies in the mainland and allowing Macao banks to expand RMB services among others.

Citing the National Security Law as an example, which was drafted by the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) after careful preparation and approved earlier this year, Bai said Macao has been maintaining China's core interests and the authority of the central government since its return.

Bai said working in Macao for a long time made him realize how patriotic Macao people were.

After the May 12 earthquake jolted southwest China in 2008, Macao people donated some 6 billion yuan ($879 million) for disaster relief. Also, more than 250,000 people out of the 500,000 population, took part in the Macao leg of the Olympic torch relay last year.

Bai stressed that Macao was now in a new historical point and the SAR need to boost the diversified development of its economy, strengthen administrative management and improve team building of civil servants.