What does Macao tell Hong Kong people?
Updated: 2014-12-22 05:56
By Zhou Bajun(HK Edition)
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President Xi Jinping made special emphasis on "Love for the motherland and love for Macao have become a prevalent value in Macao society" when he addressed the celebration gathering marking the 15th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and the inauguration of the fourth-term chief executive and government of the Macao Special Administrative Region on Dec 20.
Uniting under the flag of "Love Nation and Love Macao", the city has experienced fastest growing period in its history, including a rapidly developing economy, ever-improving livelihood, and a harmonious and stable society. From 1999 to 2013, its GDP increased from 50.27 billion patacas ($6.29 billion) to 413.47 billion patacas ($51.76 billion), with an average annual growth of 16.2 percent; its GDP per capita jumped from $15,000 to $87,000, ranking it the second highest in Asia and fourth in the world. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has dropped from 6.3 percent to 1.7 percent, the average monthly income has tripled to 15,000 patacas from 4,920 patacas, and the life expectancy of local citizens has risen from 80.7 years to 84.4, the second longest in the world. Those data show that Macao has surpassed Hong Kong in many ways.
Macao is a great success of "One Country, Two Systems". Hong Kong should learn from Macao. What Macao tells us in Hong Kong are as follows.
First, the SAR should uphold relations with the central government and other provinces on the mainland, which is fundamental to the "One Country, Two Systems".
The central government cherishes both Hong Kong and Macao. The Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) and the Mainland and Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement were signed in succession in September and October 2003. While drafting the national socio-economic development program, Beijing gave firm support for Macao to build a world tourism and leisure center and a platform for economic and trade cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries, a major move to help Macao readjust its economic structure and lessen its heavy dependence on casino gaming; and also fully supported Hong Kong to bolster its international finance and commerce centers with further economic cooperation worldwide.
Under the CEPA, the value of Macao's zero-tariff exports to the mainland reached 530 million patacas by June this year. Guided by national 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) for socio-economic development, Macao facilitated the development of Hengqin Island and strengthened cooperation with Guangdong province.
In contrast, Hong Kong has, after getting most help from the CEPA to pull it out of the worst recession triggered by the Asian financial crisis, spread anti-CEPA emotion and been trying to ward off economic integrating with the Pearl River Delta.
Second, a healthy relationship between the SAR and its former colonial power is a necessity for the smooth operation of the "One Country, Two Systems."
Guided by the 12th Five-Year Plan, Macao launched the Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Boosted by the triennial event, trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries surged to $130 billion in 2013 from $10 billion about a dozen years ago. Macao has played an irreplaceable role in China's cooperation with these countries. On the contrary, the United Kingdom has consistently meddled in Hong Kong affairs with a dream of resuming its role over the territory. It's because of London's and Washington's interferences that the "One Country, Two Systems" in Hong Kong is arriving at a critical crossroad - the opposition is seeking to turn the SAR into an independent political entity and the patriots are steadfastly propelling integration between Hong Kong and the mainland.
Third, economic transforming and developing is the corner-stone for political development.
Macao has been trying to diversify its economy by lessening the city's heavy dependence on casino gaming and developing other industries of cultural creativity, convention and exhibition, as well as tourism featuring hotels, food and restaurants, retailing and cultural heritage. The shortage of land and human resources are the major challenges facing Macao. However, a plan, approved by the central government in 2009, for the Macao SAR to reclaim 350 hectares of land from the sea has been finalized. The Macao government will use the land for public housing rather than the gaming industry.
Contrary to Macao, Hong Kong continues to sputter in economic transformation and the territory's industrial structure has retained the status quo. The younger generation in Hong Kong is frustrated by employment, career and housing problems so that many of them support the so-called "genuine universal suffrage", and some of them even joined in the "Occupy Central" movement.
The author is a veteran current affairs commentator.
(HK Edition 12/22/2014 page8)