Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday stressed the long-term adherence to "one country, two systems" as Macao celebrates a quarter-century of transformative success since its return to the motherland.

At a televised ceremony at the Macao East Asian Games Dome in Macao, Xi swore in Sam Hou-fai, a 62-year-old former senior judge, as the sixth-term chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region. 

Sam's team of principal officials for the SAR government was also sworn in before Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

After the inauguration, Xi addressed an audience of over 1,000 people in the stadium marking the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macao SAR. 

Great achievements of Macao since its return have proven to the world that "one country, two systems" has prominent institutional strengths and tremendous vitality, said the Chinese leader.

Macao and its neighbor Hong Kong are China's two SARs governed under the "one country, two systems" policy since China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over them following long periods of Portuguese and British rule. The policy allows them to maintain their capitalist systems and ways of life within socialist China.

Xi said "one country, two systems" is a good policy that helps maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, a good policy that serves the noble cause of building a stronger country and achieving national rejuvenation, and a good policy that helps realize peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between different social systems.

The values of peace, inclusiveness, openness and sharing that are embodied in the policy are shared by China and the rest of the world, and deserve to be jointly safeguarded, he added.

Hailing the enormous transformation that has taken place in Macao since its return to the motherland in 1999, he said the systems for implementing the "one country, two systems" policy have been continuously improved, and national sovereignty, security, and development interests have been effectively safeguarded in the region.

Macao's economic and social development has experienced a historic rise, local residents' sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security has been significantly enhanced, and the region's international cooperation has been continuously expanded, according to Xi.

Macao's role has been strengthened as a world tourism and leisure center, a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist, said the Chinese leader.

Macao will surely open up new horizons for development and keep creating new glories, as long as the policy of "one country, two systems" is comprehensively, accurately and unwaveringly implemented, he said.

New glories can surely be made through concerted efforts of the Macao SAR government and people from all walks of life, and with the strong backing of the motherland, said Xi.

He also expressed firm confidence that Macao can make greater contributions to the cause of building China into a strong country on all fronts and advancing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. 

He also called on young people in Macao to assume the role of builders and successors of the cause of "one country, two systems".

Young people are the hope and future of Macao and an energetic force in building the SAR and the country, he said expressing his hope that they will set lofty goals and make solid efforts with Macao and the country in mind.

He stressed drawing on the experience since the return of Hong Kong and Macao to the motherland in maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability in the two special administrative regions.

He urged upholding the fundamental principle of "one country" while leveraging the benefits of "two systems," and maintaining high-level security while promoting high-quality development.

Xi called for giving full play to the unique advantages of Hong Kong and Macao, which should expand their connections with the world while intensively integrating into the country's development strategies.

The president also urged carrying forward the core values of loving the country as well as loving Hong Kong and Macao, and promoting inclusiveness and harmony in the two regions.  

While expressing his expectations for the newly inaugurated Macao SAR government, the Chinese leader urged it to promote the appropriate diversification of the local economy, improve governance efficiency, build a platform for higher-level opening up, and safeguard social harmony and stability.

Wrapping up his three-day visit to the SAR, President Xi left Macao on a special plane on Friday afternoon.

At the seeing-off ceremony, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, shook hands with the people who came to see them off and waved goodbye to a cheering crowd.

Cai Qi and other senior officials also left on the same plane.

On Thursday, he visited the Macau University of Science and Technology. He also inspected the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, praising it for bolstering Macao's economic diversification. 

Xinhua