MACAO-Beijing loyalist Ho Iat Seng was inaugurated Friday as China鈥檚 chief executive in the tiny gambling enclave of Macao, which unlike neighboring Hong Kong has remained free of pro-democracy protests.
Performers dance during a cultural performance in Macao, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019. Chinese leader Xi Jinping met Thursday with Macao鈥檚 new chief executive amid celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the former Portuguese colony鈥檚 handover to Chinese rule. (AP Photo)
The 62-year-old businessman read his oath of office in front of Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a ceremony Friday morning.
Both men delivered speeches stressing the importance of the 鈥渙ne country, two systems鈥� framework under which the former Portuguese colony has been ruled since its handover to China in 1999.
Unlike in Hong Kong, where months of anti-government protests have wracked the former British colony, Macao has remained overwhelmingly calm, a reflection of its close ties to and economic dependence on mainland China.
In his address, Ho pledged improvements to the territory鈥檚 administration, infrastructure, transportation and economy, reflecting calls for it to diversify away from its heavy dependence on the gambling industry.
Xi鈥檚 speech focused overwhelmingly on the need for strict adherence to 鈥渙ne country, two systems,鈥� which has come under sharp criticism in Hong Kong, where the opposition says China is chipping at civil liberties it promised the two territories would retain under Chinese rule.
鈥淥ne country鈥� is the prerequisite and basis of 鈥渢wo systems,鈥� Xi said. 鈥淥nly by ensuring no distortion of the 鈥榦ne country, two systems鈥� practice can the cause of 鈥榦ne country, two systems鈥� go far and steady.鈥�
Xi also reiterated that Macao and Hong Kong were purely China鈥檚 internal affairs and Beijing would 鈥渁bsolutely not allow鈥� foreign interference, a line that received warm applause from the audience of local politicians, members of the business elite and invited foreign guests.
The city of just 632,000 people was placed in a security lockdown for Xi鈥檚 visit, including barring political activists and journalists from Hong Kong.
Even without the heavy security, Xi would likely have seen little in the way of protests or calls for greater democracy or self-rule.