The issues that made our year

Macao is set for an even more prosperous future

Last year, Macao celebrated the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland. In November, I visited for a week to conduct a series of interviews.

Macao is small in both area and population. It's a peaceful, cozy, wealthy place whose residents have a high sense of happiness. The locals speak fluent Mandarin and are hospitable to visitors.

A 40-something taxi driver, surnamed Chan, told me that when the city returned to the motherland in 1999, the economy was poor and there were serious security issues. After its return, the city's stable environment helped tourism to develop.

Chan has been a taxi driver for about 15 years. His wife works in a casino. His elderly parents receive a local government pension of several thousand patacas every month and his son studies at a high school free of charge. I could feel he was satisfied with life.

I was impressed by the city's development during the past 20 years and its high level of social welfare.

Macao's per capita GDP grew fivefold from 1999 to 2018, its fiscal reserves shot up 193-fold, while the unemployment rate fell from 6.3 percent to 1.8 percent.

Local students enjoy free education from kindergarten to high school. Residents age 65 and older receive an average monthly pension of 6,099 patacas ($760) from the government, and life expectancy is more than 80, one of the highest in the world.

"Over the past two decades, Macao has combined its own destiny with that of the motherland," said Ho Hauwah, the city's first chief executive (from 1999 to 2009), during an interview about the city's success.

"This couldn't have been achieved without support from the country or the efforts of the Macao people."

"Loving Macao and loving the country" is Macao's core value. Patriotic education activities, including raising the national flag, are common in its schools. Every year, several groups have an opportunity to visit the Chinese mainland to learn about the country's history and development.

I believe that patriotism will remain Macao's core value in the next 20 years, and the city will embrace even brighter prospects.