Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah of the Macao Administrative Region (SAR) has been terribly busy these days, as the third anniversary of the city's return to the motherland approached.
But in the public eyes, the top SAR official looks vigorous and confident as usual. At a reception for the press on Thursday, Edmund Ho vowed to further advance the diversification of the economic structure and the liberalization of the gaming industry.
And days earlier, he predicted that Macao's economy should grow above 5 percent this year and another 4 percent in the coming year.
Just one week ago, Edmund Ho was present at the opening ceremony of a national flag, national anthem and national emblem exhibition. The Macao compatriots are believed to have greatly enhanced their sense of masters of the nation since the handover.
After that, the chief executive watched one art performance after another, including a song and dance performance featuring the folklore and art style of Inner Mongolia, a traditional Wudang martial arts performance and a 100-meter-long picture scroll worked out by more than 200 inland artists, which all expressed good wishes for the three-year-old Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
After reviewing sound ties with the neighboring city of Zhuhai in the past years, Edmund Ho agreed with newly-appointed mayor of Zhuhai City Wang Shunsheng to further enhance all-round cooperation on a reciprocal basis when they met here Tuesday.
People still remember that in his policy address for 2003, the chief executive has promised to open Macao wider to the outside world, especially to consolidate links with the Pearl River delta.
On Wednesday, he attended the celebrations of the Macao Chamber of Commerce, at which Vice Chairman Ma Man Kei of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) urged the Macao people to further support the administration of the SAR government headed by Edmund Ho, so as to jointly strive for an overall revitalization of Macao.
On Friday morning, Edmund Ho attended a solemn flag-raising ceremony in rain at the Golden Lotus square, together with other government officials and local celebrities.
And government sources said that a grand reception will be held by the SAR government Friday afternoon to mark the 3rd birthday of the Macao SAR.
(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2002)
