On 20 December, President Xi Jinping administered the oath of office to Sam Hou Fai as the sixth-term chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). That same sunny morning, the new government’s principal officials, the prosecutor-general and all members of the Executive Council also took their oaths of office in the presence of the country’s President.
The ceremony was held at the Macao East Asian Games Dome in Taipa, as part of a series of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland. Around 1,300 guests were in attendance.
In his address after the oaths, Sam pledged to uphold the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle, maintaining the legal order of the SAR as outlined in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and Macao’s Basic Law. He emphasised the importance of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests while promoting the principle of ‘Macao people administering Macao’.
Sam committed to enhancing patriotic education in Macao and continuously improving the region’s legal framework, alongside mechanisms that protect national security. With regards to public administration, the new leader expressed his dedication to a people-centred approach and to improving the ways in which Macao is governed. He noted that his government aims to reform the SAR’s public administration and legal systems while strengthening its overall judicial framework.
The new chief executive also vowed to pursue appropriate economic diversification, adhering to the strategic goals of ‘One Centre, One Platform, One Base’ and the ‘1+4’ economic model. The former refers to Macao’s triple status as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform and an exchange and cooperation base with Chinese culture as the mainstream and the coexistence of different cultures. The ‘1+4’ model is Macao’s diversification strategy, whereby integrated tourism and leisure remain the backbone of Macao’s economy while supporting four emerging industries. Sam said that the ‘One Centre, One Paltform, One Base’ and the ‘1+4’ models will guide the SAR’s development trajectory under his watch.
He also outlined plans to support the transformation of traditional industries and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, enhancing opportunities for the public and local businesses.
Sam promised to improve citizens’ livelihoods by tackling issues related to social security, healthcare, elder care, childcare, transportation and urban renewal with practical solutions. He stated that Macao would fully leverage its role as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, actively engage in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and work diligently to advance the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
Additionally, Macao would contribute significantly to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative and implement policies to cultivate top talent, especially in science and technology, positioning itself as an international hub for skilled professionals.
The chief executive noted that his government would support the growth of patriotic organisations and enhance the management of non-governmental organisations to strengthen Macao’s social governance, helping secure long-term stability and prosperity.
Sam expressed his commitment to seeing the city branded as ‘law-based Macao’, ‘vibrant Macao’, ‘cultural Macao’ and ‘blissful Macao’.
In closing, he envisioned that the SAR would reach new heights as “the pearl in the palm of the motherland” – as Macao has been described by Xi. Sam added that he was confident the city would make significant contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as it embraced a path to modernisation.
