The Chinese president’s three-day visit to the former Portuguese colony, 25 years after its return to Beijing’s sovereignty, was an opportunity to also send messages to Hong Kong, insisting on the potential of the Greater Bay Area. The scale on the island of Hengqin was significant, which should become the axis of a “diversified” economic model with respect to the casinos (which still produce 80% of the income).
Macau () – A more open and inclusive Macau to “recruit talent from around the world” and “obtain greater results on the international stage.” This is the horizon that Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out to the former Portuguese colony during the three-day visit he made on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its return to the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China. The trip concluded today with attendance at the inauguration of the new government headed by Guangdong-born former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sam Hou Fai, who was elected in October in a single-candidate vote by a strictly 400-member committee. pro-Beijing.
During his visit, Xi Jinping did not fail to cite Macao as an example of the implementation of the “One country, two systems” agreement, which has been emptied of all meaning by the harsh repression in recent years in Hong Kong. “Macao is a pearl in the palm of the nation,” he said, “and I have always thought about its development and the well-being of all its inhabitants.”
In reality, Macau is still known around the world primarily for its casinos, whose revenues make up more than 80% of its economy. The former colony is, in fact, the only place in China where gambling is allowed and has long since surpassed Las Vegas as the world’s leading casino center, fueled by two decades of money from Chinese visitors.
Also on this occasion, Xi Jinping did not fail to repeat the command word about the “diversification” of economic activities. He called on the new government to accelerate the development of new economic activities, linking them to China’s national development strategies, among which is the Greater Bay Area, the ambitious economic plan to connect several cities in southern China, including financial centers. nearby Hong Kong and Guangzhou. .
“At this time the overall situation in Macao is stable, but the internal and external environment is undergoing profound changes,” Xi Jinping said. “We must work to promote moderate economic diversification, focusing on the growth of new industries with international competitiveness.”
That is why the official Chinese agency Xinhua gave great importance to Xi’s visit to the Macau University of Science and Technology, where he was “informed about the operation of two key state-level laboratories”, dedicated to Chinese medicine and astronomy. He also visited the Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone on Hengqin Island, “where he spoke with residents and those in charge of planning, construction, management and services,” he reported. Xinhua. Hengqin Island, a strip of land adjacent to Macau and three times its size, has been partially leased by Beijing to Macau to increase its offer of spaces specifically for the development of non-gambling activities.
This was Xi’s third trip to Macau as president. His last visit took place in 2019, precisely during the weeks when anti-government protests were shaking Hong Kong. The Chinese president responded at that time to the protests by imposing harsh repression in the former British colony.
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