Edmund Ho Hau Wah (L), chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), is sworn into office in front of Chinese President Hu Jintao during a celebration gathering marking the 5th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the second-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region in Macao, south China, on Dec. 20, 2004. (Xinhua Photo)

President Hu Jintao, attending celebrations in Macau yesterday, said the past five years have shown the successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy in the former Portuguese colony.

He made his remarks while attending ceremonies commemorating the fifth anniversary of Macau's return to China and the inauguration of the second-term government of the Macau Special Administrative Region.

Hu extended congratulations to Edmund Ho Hau Wah, after Ho was sworn in for a second term as Macau's chief executive.

The president said the central government has acted in strict accordance with the Basic Law and has firmly supported the chief executive and the Macau government without interfering in affairs that are within the autonomy of the SAR.

He added that under the Basic Law, the principles of "Macau people governing Macau" and a high degree of autonomy have been fully implemented and that all Macau citizens enjoy extensive freedom and democratic rights.

The original social and economic systems, the way of life, the cultural traditions and the features of Macau remain unchanged, he noted.

Facts have proven that the principle of "one country, two systems" is entirely justified, and that it has displayed, and will continue to display, its strong vitality, Hu pointed out.

He noted that Macau's government has worked closely with people from all walks of life, made innovative efforts to overcome challenges brought by the Asian financial crisis, a changing external economic environment and the SARS epidemic.

Hu said that today Macau enjoys social stability, sustained economic growth and a peaceful and contented population. Facts have shown that local citizens have the wisdom, ability and means to properly administer, build and develop Macau, he noted.

After his swearing in, Ho pledged to serve both the country and the entire community of Macau to the very best of his and the government's ability.

During the past five years, Ho said, the first-term government has lived up to its mission amid many hardships and challenges.

The central government has given firm support to Macau's urgent and long-term needs, he noted.

"We should constantly seek to improve our governance," he said.

"The most important thing is that we should uphold the core values and draw on experiences that have guided us toward success in the past five years; namely, our patriotism and love for Macau, our determination to exercise the Basic Law, our determination to implement the policies of the central government, our desire to maintain long-term peace and stability, and our efforts to maintain unity, stability and mutual understanding within our society," he said.

"We should pay even greater attention to the imbalance between the high rate of economic growth and our own conditions, which will pose unpredictable and major challenges to the sustainable development of our society," he said. During his two-day visit, the president also met on separate occasions with the chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR and principal officials of the Macau and Hong Kong governments as well as celebrities from all walks of life. He also met with representatives from the central government's offices in Macau and subsidiaries of mainland companies and inspected the People's Liberation Army Garrison troops stationed in Macau.