Edmund Ho Hau Wah presided over a ceremony in Golden Lotus
Square at which the flags of both Macao and the whole of China were
raised to the tune of the national anthem, attended by officials
from the central government's Liaison Office and Foreign Affairs
Commission as well as the SAR government and hundreds of local
residents.
At a reception later in Macao Tower, Ho said the "one country,
two systems" policy has advanced with "great vigor," and the SAR
has been able to demonstrate its unique inherent advantages and
grasp valuable development opportunities.
He said Macao, safeguarded by the Basic Law and with strong
support from the mainland, had the confidence to build a unique and
sophisticated society.
In an article published the same day in the Macao Daily
News, Bai Zhijian, director of the Liaison Office, said the
implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy represented
the successful practice of social harmony, which he said was the
foundation for economic and political development.
(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2005)