People visit the site of the 2025 International Cities of Gastronomy Fest Macao at the Fisherman's Wharf in south China's Macao, July 11, 2025. The event kicked off here Friday. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), along with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign (FM) Affairs in Macao and Hong Kong, on Sunday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the references to the SAR in the latest US 2025 Investment Climate Statements, urging Washington to stop political manipulation, according to official statement.

The US Department of State recently released its so-called 2025 Investment Climate Statements, which makes unfounded comments on Macao's economic and political development, including criticism of the SAR's improvement of its electoral system and revisions to the National Security Law. The Macao SAR government expressed strong discontent and resolute opposition to these comments.

Under the principle of "one country, two systems" and the protection of the Basic Law, Macao enjoys the status of a free port and separate customs territory, implements a simple and low tax regime, maintains streamlined investment procedures and has extensive international market networks, the statement said.

Besides, "the SAR's close ties with Portuguese-speaking countries have strengthened Macao's role as a commercial and trade cooperation platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, earning broad recognition. The WTO has rated Macao as one of the most open trade and investment regimes in the world," per the statement.

In recent years, the Macao SAR government has advanced public administration reforms, delegated power, reduced government intervention in market activities and steadily improved the business environment. It continues to refine local laws and regulations, strengthen labor rights protection and seek to foster more harmonious labor relations, the statement noted, adding "These achievements cannot be erased by the so-called US report."

The Macao SAR government has also continued to improve the Legislative Assembly election system, strictly implementing the principle of "patriots governing Macao." This, the government said, helps safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, ensures Macao's long-term prosperity and stability, protects residents' basic rights and upholds the lawful interests of foreign investors.

Recently, the election for the 8th Legislative Assembly was held in accordance with the law in a fair, just and clean environment. Voter participation reached a record high, with more than 175,000 casting ballots and a turnout rate of 53.35 percent, fully demonstrating that the revised electoral system has won broad support and recognition among residents, per the statement.

The SAR government reiterated that the amendments to the National Security Law drew on legislative experience from other jurisdictions, took into account Macao's legal traditions and social realities, and strictly complied with relevant international human rights conventions. "In fact, the US itself has long enacted a series of strict national security laws and frequently wields 'long-arm jurisdiction.' Instead of reflecting on this, Washington unilaterally points fingers at others, which is a textbook case of double standards and hypocrisy," the statement said.

The government stressed that the US is an important economic partner of Macao, and urged Washington not to politicize economic issues but to do more to promote the stable development of bilateral economic and trade ties.

The Office of the Commissioner of the FM Affairs in Macao emphasized that Macao enjoys the unique institutional advantage of "one country, two systems," retains its status as a free port and separate customs territory, and operates a simple and low tax regime. As one of the world's most open economies for trade and investment, as recognized by the WTO, Macao has attracted investors from around the world, including the US, per an official statement.

It noted that strengthening the legal framework, including the safeguarding of national security, has consolidated the foundation for the steady and long-term implementation of "one country, two systems" in Macao. "This has provided strong legal guarantees for building a higher-level platform for opening-up and created a safer, more convenient and efficient business environment," the statement said.

"Facts prove that any attempt to attack, smear, or undermine Macao's prosperity has always been futile — and in today's best development period, such efforts are nothing but wishful thinking," the commissioner's office said, urging the US to face reality, change course and immediately stop smearing Macao's sound environment and interfering in Macao affairs and China's internal affairs.

On the same day, a spokesperson for the Office of the Commissioner of the FM Affairs in Hong Kong also expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the report's repeated smears against Hong Kong's national security legislation and negative comments on its business climate.

The spokesperson said that since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, prosperity and stability in the city have been better secured, and the foundation for Hong Kong's transition from order to greater prosperity has become even stronger, per an official statement.

Today, Hong Kong continues to top global rankings as the world's freest economy, has returned to the global top three in competitiveness, and has risen to fourth place worldwide in talent rankings — all well ahead of the US, per the statement.

The spokesperson added that the US, which often wields tariffs and sanctions, sets arbitrary restrictions on global trade and investment, charges exorbitant fees for talent visas, and even detains foreign employees of international companies, is in no position to lecture Hong Kong on its business environment.

The spokesperson stressed that the US has major economic interests in Hong Kong. Over the past decade, the US has run a trade surplus of more than $270 billion with Hong Kong — the largest among all its global trading partners. Currently, nearly 1,400 American companies are operating in the city.

By repeatedly politicizing and weaponizing economic and trade issues, and hyping up so-called risks for foreign firms doing business in Hong Kong, the U.S. is in fact the real disruptor and saboteur of Hong Kong's business environment, the spokesperson said.

China urges the US to genuinely respect China's sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law, lift its sanctions against Hong Kong, and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs in any form, the spokesperson added.

Global Times