Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed on Friday the long-term adherence to “one country, two systems” as Macao celebrates a quarter-century of transformative success since its return to the motherland. At a televised ceremony held in a major sports stadium in Macao, Xi swore in Sam Hou Fai, a 62-year-old former senior judge, as the sixth-term chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). Sam’s team of principal officials for the SAR government was also sworn in before Xi. After…

As China prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland this week, the city stands as a testament to the success of the “one country, two systems” policy. Macao and its neighbor Hong Kong are China’s two special administrative regions (SARs) governed under this policy since the Chinese government resumed its exercise of sovereignty over them following long periods of Portuguese and British colonial rule. So what exactly is “one country, two systems”? What are its…

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Macao on Wednesday afternoon, describing Macao as “a pearl on the palm” of the motherland and expressing confidence in its promising future. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will attend a gathering celebrating the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Friday. He will…

For centuries, the quiet city of Macao, nestled next to Hong Kong, has rarely captured as much attention as it does today. In less than a week, this wealthy and culturally vibrant Chinese territory will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its return to the motherland, which ended centuries of Portuguese occupation. Since 1999, Macao has been governed under the “one country, two systems” policy — a unique arrangement that allows it to maintain its capitalist system and way of life…

This year is the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China’s first group of national economic and technological development zones (NETDZs).  When they were first introduced in 1984, 14 such zones were scattered throughout the eastern coastal region. Today their number reaches 229, located in 31 provincial-level regions. The eastern region leads the count with 103, followed by the central region’s 55, the western region’s 50, and the northeastern region’s 21.  Over the past four decades, these zones have created…

By purchasing Green Electricity Certificates (GECs), the organisers of the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) have succeeded in making the once energy-intensive event more environmentally friendly.   A few days before its opening in Shanghai at the beginning of November, the CIIE concluded a deal for 10,000 GECs with the Shanghai branch of China Huadian Corp., a company specialising in electricity, via the green power exchange in Beijing. This purchase enabled the CIIE to acquire 10 million kwh of green…

Domestic demand, which encompasses both consumption and investment, is a crucial engine for economic growth, linking the economy with societal well-being. As the effects of the country’s supportive policies continued to filter through, China saw a noticeable pickup in consumption growth and a stable increase in fixed-asset investment in October, noted guest speakers who joined the ninth episode of the China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, which was broadcast on Monday. Here are the…

As China navigates a complex global economic landscape, it seeks to stimulate domestic demand to tackle both immediate and long-term challenges. China’s policy for invigorating consumer spending and investment has produced results, according to guest speakers who joined the ninth episode of the China Economic Roundtable hosted by Xinhua News Agency, which was broadcast on Monday. GATHERING STEAM China has stepped up efforts, combining immediate policy measures with structural reforms, to stimulate domestic demand. Thanks to these measures, including promoting…

A think tank report released on Wednesday offers an in-depth analysis of how the world is invited to experience a real China up-close, as foreign tourists swarm into the country buoyed by a raft of facilitation measures. The report, “China Travel — Inviting the World to Experience a Real China,” was issued by New China Research, a think tank under Xinhua News Agency. The report summarizes and explains the domestic and global relevance of China’s inbound travel boom. It notes…

The new Hailin crater is located in the northern mountains of Hailin city in Heilongjiang province in northeastern China. This crater, which has a diameter of 1,360 metres, has the shape of an elliptical scoop and was formed on the ridge of the mountain.  The elevation difference between the highest point of the crater’s edge and the lowest point at its centre exceeds 100 metres, creating the appearance of a large funnel-shaped depression on the ridge of one of the…