A flag-raising ceremony marking the 21st anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland is held at the Golden Lotus Square in Macao, south China, Dec. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) celebrated its 21st anniversary since returning to the motherland on Sunday, with a flag-raising ceremony and a reception. The SAR Chief Executive credited Macao's achievements to the motherland, and vowed further integration. 

At around 8 am, the Chinese national flag and the Macao SAR regional flag were raised to the national anthem on the Golden Lotus Square with around 500 citizens in attendance who were wearing masks, Xinhua News Agency reported. 

A reception followed at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex, with over 900 attendees including top officials from the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR and central government's Liaison Office in Macao.

Ho Iat Seng, Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, acknowledged the strict prevention and control policies of Macao in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic in the past year. There have been no deaths and a high recovery rate has been achieved. 

Ho vowed Macao will further integrate into China's future development plans. "The SAR will further participate in building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative in a practical and orderly manner," Ho said at the reception. 

Ho credited Macao's achievements to the motherland, "The practice of Macao since its return has fully demonstrated that the key to Macao's ability to cope with various challenges and difficulties and maintain its prosperity and stability lies in the strong support and care of a strong motherland." 

Considering the implementation of "one country, two systems" in Macao has brought prosperity and stability, neighboring Hong Kong has a lot to learn from Macao, Fan Peng, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Political Sciences told the Global Times on Sunday. 

"Hong Kong society has a better social foundation than Macao, considering its quality of the civil service team, solid common law system and developed social service industry," Fan said, "But in recent years it lacks integration with the mainland and the willingness to take the initiative to connect, which is a necessary support for the future development of Hong Kong and Macao."

"In particular, Hong Kong has been culturally infiltrated by foreign forces in recent years, and a large number of young people have been brainwashed to create riots, proving that Hong Kong lacks patriotic education for its youth, which is a major guarantee of Macao's prosperity and stability," Fan noted. 

Macao officially opened the Base of Education of Love for Motherland and for Macao for young people on Wednesday. Chief Executive Ho Iat Sen said at the opening ceremony that Macao will continue to strengthen patriotic education for young people and to nurture a generation with a Macao root, a heart for the motherland, and an eye on the world. 

After the yearlong social turmoil in Hong Kong, the HKSAR is also laying more importance on education. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam promoted quality education to nurture Hong Kong's students into law-abiding citizens with social responsibility and national identity in her 2020 policy address. Hong Kong is to launch a more focused public education campaign, including educating young people on the correct concept of the rule of law, and enhancing their awareness of the need to abide by the law.

Global Times