Macao's Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah was sworn in for a second term yesterday and he pledged to serve both the country and the entire community of Macao to the very best of his and the government's ability.

On the occasion of his inauguration for the second term as chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Ho said: "We pledge to fulfill our mission and duties, uphold the Basic Law, and serve both our country and the entire community of the Macao SAR to the very best of our ability."

Ho and members of the executive team for the second term of the Macao SAR government were sworn in at the inauguration ceremony attended by Chinese President Hu Jintao.

"The principle of 'one country, two systems' being implemented in Macao for the past five years has given Macao a new identity in the present era, guiding us in a new process of striving for progress, and injecting fresh energy into Macao," the chief executive said.

During these five years, Ho said, the first-term government of the Macao SAR lived up to its mission amid all kinds of hardships and challenges.

In the five years since the establishment of the Macao SAR, the central government has kept giving its firm support, in both Macao's favourable and unfavourable circumstances, for Macao's both urgent and long-term needs, he noted.

At the same time, the Macanese people's patriotism has encouraged him and his colleagues, he said, adding the principle of "one country, two systems" has been constantly upheld and enriched through the close co-operation and unity of the people in Macao and the Chinese mainland.

"We should constantly seek to improve our governance," he said.

"The most important thing is that we should uphold the core values and draw on experiences that have guided us toward success in the past five years, namely, our patriotism and love for Macao; our determination to exercise the Basic Law; our determination to implement the policies of the central government; our desire to maintain long-term peace and stability; and our efforts to maintain unity, stability and mutual understanding within our society," he said.

"We should pay even greater attention to the imbalance between the high rate of economic growth and our own conditions, which will pose unpredictable and major challenges to the sustainable development of our society," he said, adding this is the key issue the second-term government should deal with earnestly.

(China Daily December 21, 2004)