December 19th (AMSP/CGTN) – – The aircraft carrying President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan landed at the Macau International Airport Wednesday afternoon.
He was warmly welcomed on the airport apron by senior central and SAR officials, including outgoing Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng and Chief Executive-elect Sam Hou Fai, as well as some 500 local residents and students, who were holding flowers and waving the national and the SAR’s flags.
In a brief speech, Xi shared his excitement about visiting Macau again after five years and said Macau is the “cherished pearl of the motherland.”
He acknowledged the remarkable achievements made in Macau under the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” framework. He also highlighted the strong momentum in Macau and expressed confidence in the region in creating a better future.
“Twenty-five years on, the practice of “One Country, Two Systems” with Macau’s characteristics has gained great success and witnessed by all countries around the world. It also showed its unique charm. The country has also developed unstoppably and we have seen Macau also gaining a strong momentum. We believe that Macau will have a bright future. This is also the pride of the residents in Macau, also the pride of the people in the motherland,” President Xi said.
The President said he is eager to conduct in-depth exchanges with people from all walks of life during his stay in the SAR. Some attendees at the welcoming ceremony said it’s an honour to see the top leader in person.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, and I’m very happy and joyful, and of course, I’m very excited about it. I can feel that everyone has a patriotic heart and respect for the President, as well as hope for Macau,” said one of the attendees at the welcoming ceremony.
“I was burning with excitement to see the state leader walk in front of me, so I still feel very warm even though the weather is cold today. President Xi Jinping also chose to visit Macau on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau SAR. The “One Country, Two Systems” principle has been firmly established in Macau for 25 years, so I think President Xi Jinping’s guidance to Macau on how to move forward in the future and maximise the benefits of the system is of great significance to us,” another attendees shared his insights.
Following the welcoming ceremony, Xi Jinping met with Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, according to state media.
Xi praised Ho for his resilience and dedication over the past five years and highlighted the achievements in economic diversification and the overall stability of the region.
During his visit to Macau, the President will attend a series of celebratory events like a gala dinner tomorrow, as well as the inauguration ceremony of the sixth-term SAR government on Friday.
The top leader is scheduled to leave Macau on Friday afternoon.
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CGTN