Experts laud Macao's great success after its return to motherland

World experts have spoken positively about Macao's impressive achievements after its return to the motherland and the important role that the principle of "one country, two systems" has played in the city's development.[Special coverage]

As Saturday marks the 15th anniversary of Macao's return to China, the world once again focuses its attention on the region, amazed by its incredible achievements in the last 15 years.

In an exclusive interview with Wu Wuhua, president of the Chaozhou Guild in France, said the success of the "one country, two systems" principle in Macao has set an example for Hong Kong.

Wu first congratulated Macao for the 15th anniversary of its return to the motherland, saying the government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the people of Macao have conducted various activities within the framework of such principles.

Xulio Rios, director of Spain's website of the Observatory of Chinese Politics, said that Macao has experienced great economic success over the past 15 years.

Since China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao in 1999, the region's economy has grown by over 550 percent, with current unemployment rate at a low of 1.7 percent. This year Macao is expected to beat Switzerland in terms of GDP per capita, ranking fourth in the world, he added.

The indices of public confidence in the authorities indicate the government's high popularity above 50 percent and even 60 percent, with majority of local residents in favor of the region's autonomy under the principle of "one country, two systems", said Rios.

Augusto Soto, a scholar with the Dialogue with China Project based in Spain, said: "I remember well the ceremony of Macao's return to Beijing in 1999. It was a historic event of great significance."

"A few years later...a Portuguese official told me that he was impressed by the strategic vision that Chinese negotiators had shown. And this strategic vision has been demonstrated in practice in recent years," he said.

In the 15 years governed by the SAR government, Macao has undergone major changes as a result of economic development and has also continued to maintain its characteristics and unique social balance. Its per capita income has increased from 15,000 U.S. dollars to 87,000 dollars, taking an extraordinary lead in Asia, said Soto.