Macao: A successful implementer of 'one country, two systems'

When I first set foot in Macao as a tourist back in December 1986, I felt that the enclave was far less prosperous than Hong Kong. Even the lighting in neighboring Zhuhai was more lustrous than that in Macao.

Only after Macao was returned to China on Dec 20, 1999, did I witness new changes whenever I visited the city for various events. The 660,000 residents of Macao have been using their wisdom and labor to compose a wonderful symphony under the theme of "one country, two systems". To date, Macao's annual GDP per capita has exceeded $80,000, ranking second in the world. More importantly, Macao residents generally have a strong sense of accomplishment and happiness.

It is unarguable that the practice of "one country, two systems" has achieved tremendous success in Macao, a feat that is acknowledged also by many people in Hong Kong. Some of them, however, attribute Macao's success to its uniqueness. Indeed, Hong Kong and Macao differ in many aspects. Hong Kong's population and landmass are 11 times and 34 times respectively those of Macao. The structures and scales of industries in both cities are very distinct from each other. In terms of historical background, the UK has been reluctant to forgo Hong Kong, while Portugal was pleased to return Macao to China. As a matter of fact, Washington and London have put a huge amount of effort into interfering in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's affairs, whereas they have wielded little influence in Macao, as evidenced by the fact that both had their consulates set up in Hong Kong.

Nevertheless, with a deeper analysis of the two cities' development, it is not hard to conclude that the smooth implementation of "one country, two systems" in Macao was largely due to the Portuguese government's wisdom in acknowledging the need for Macao to return to its motherland and in facilitating the relevant process. The Portuguese did nothing to impede China's resumption of exercise of sovereignty over Macao before Dec 20, 1999, and have never tried to interfere with Macao's internal affairs since. In contrast, the UK deliberately planted many sleepers and political traps in Hong Kong before the handover on July 1, 1997, which have been causing a lot of trouble for the HKSAR government. The US, meanwhile, has been wielding considerable influence in Hong Kong since the enactment of the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992. Washington and London joined hands to oppose the SAR government's attempt to enact a national security law according to Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2003. Since then, they have continued to meddle in Hong Kong's internal affairs, causing trouble that has undermined political stability and economic development in Hong Kong.

With a deeper analysis, we can also deduce that the smooth implementation of "one country, two systems" in the Macao SAR was also due to the Macao SAR government's strong motive for and effort in promoting economic integration between Macao and the Pearl River Delta region. Macao realized its shortage in land resources, and leased part of the land on Hengqin Island in Zhuhai for its social and economic development upon the central government's approval.

Besides, Macao understands that it cannot solely rely on the gambling industry to sustain its economy; it thus has been seeking to integrate with Zhuhai with the aim of diversifying its economy and improving its industry structure. In an effort to facilitate the integration of its economy into national development, the Macao SAR government took the initiative to collaborate with relevant national authorities in implementing the "one inspection for two sides" arrangement at the Macao-Zhuhai checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

Another reason for Macao's smooth implementation of "one country, two systems" is that Macao residents recognize their dual identities as both Chinese and Macao residents. In Macao, even some people of Portuguese descent who hold the Macao SAR passport consciously identify themselves as Chinese citizens. As they have a genuine sense of belonging to China and the Macao SAR, they actively fulfill the civic responsibilities as a Chinese citizen in Macao.

These three reasons can be encapsulated in one sentence: All parties involved in Macao's implementation of "one country, two systems" recognize and act in conformity with the inexorable trend of Macao's development. This has fundamentally ensured the successful implementation of "one country, two systems" in Macao.

With its firm commitment to the faithful implementation of "one country, two systems" and strong determination to integrate its own development into the national development strategy, Macao for sure will continue to maintain the smooth implementation of "one country, two systems" in the next two to three decades and beyond.

The author is a senior research fellow of China Everbright Holdings.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.