Macau yesterday celebrated 20 years since the former Portuguese colony was returned to China, with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) praising the pliant gambling hub for its patriotism, a stark contrast to protest-ravaged Hong Kong.
The day’s festivities centered on the inauguration of a new leader for a territory that Xi described as a “shining chapter” of Beijing’s “one country, two systems” model.
Ho Iat-seng (賀一誠) won a one-horse race this summer to become Macau’s new chief executive — a position that is chosen by a 400-member committee stacked with Beijing loyalists.
Photo: Bloomberg
Throughout his three-day visit, Xi has seized on Macau’s comparative political calm, a theme he continued in a landmark speech yesterday as he presided over Ho’s swearing-in ceremony.
“A sense of nation and patriotic spirit has deeply taken root in the hearts of young people,” Xi told delegates, adding that loyalty toward Beijing was the “most important reason” for Macau’s success.
He also warned against any foreign powers taking a stance on Hong Kong, which has been shaken by six months of huge and increasingly violent protests against Beijing’s rule.
“We will definitely not allow any foreign forces to interfere with Hong Kong and Macau affairs,” Xi said.
China has repeatedly portrayed Hong Kong’s huge protests as a foreign-backed revolution designed to destabilize the motherland, rejecting any suggestion that Hong Kongers have legitimate political grievances.
Hong Kong and Macau are run on Beijing’s “one country, two systems” model that allows them to retain certain liberties, such as an independent judiciary, a free market and a separate currency.
However, while Hong Kong seethes with popular resentment toward Beijing, Macau has steadily become more like the mainland.
Macau has witnessed little dissent and has become hugely wealthy thanks to being the only place in China where gambling is allowed — although Xi omitted any reference to the gaming industry during his visit.
China’s leadership has used Macau’s handover anniversary to showcase the benefits of deference to authoritarian rule, a pointed signal to protesters across the Pearl River Delta in Hong Kong.
Macau’s fortunes have risen in lockstep with China’s huge economic growth, Ho said.
“Macau and the motherland are intertwined and destined to develop as one,” he said in his inauguration speech.
Xi also singled out mainland style anti-sedition laws in Macau that have been bitterly opposed for years in Hong Kong.
There had been speculation that Xi might unveil a series of economic measures rewarding Macau for its loyalty, but none were announced in his speech.
When Xi visited Hong Kong in 2017 for the territory’s handover celebrations, he delivered a tough speech warning that any challenge to the authority of the central government was a “red line and absolutely impermissible.”
Shortly after Xi finished his speech yesterday, office workers went out in Hong Kong’s main commercial district during their lunch break to protest.
The rally was sparked by police freezing HK$70 million (US$9 million) the day before from a fund that collects donations to help arrested pro-democracy protesters.
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