(Interview with the Two Sessions) Representatives from Macao Region recall their return: A colorful dream becomes a reality

　　China News Service, Beijing, March 9th: Title: Representatives from Macao region recall their return: A colorful dream becomes a reality

　　Author Zeng Yue

　　For Huang Xianhui, a representative of the National People's Congress and a member of the Macao SAR Legislative Assembly, the night of December 19 to 20, 1999 was a sleepless night.

　　At 0:00 on December 20, 1999, the Chinese and Portuguese governments held a power handover ceremony at the Macau Cultural Center. The Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macau, and Macau returned to the motherland.

As a member of the first Legislative Assembly of the Macau SAR, Huang Xianhui was at the scene and watched the five-star red flag rising slowly.

　　After the ceremony, Huang Xianhui and other members returned to the Legislative Council to take the oath of office and passed 11 "essential bills", witnessing Macao's first step in legislation for the Special Administrative Region under the new constitution.

He recalled that this "midnight legislation" lasted from two o'clock in the morning to four thirty. "I was very excited at the time and didn't feel tired at all."

　　After 25 years, sitting in the interview room of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress, Liu Yiliang, a representative of the National People's Congress and the eternal president of the Macau Returned Overseas Chinese Association, could not conceal his excitement: "I feel as if I am still at the (ceremony)." He still remembers that everyone, including himself, had tears in their eyes. The excitement and emotion are unforgettable to this day. "Everyone is looking forward to returning."

On March 7, the Macao delegation attending the second session of the 14th National People's Congress held an open group meeting.

Photo by China News Service reporter Tomita

　　This hope is the voice of generations.

　　Liu Yiliang recalled that in the early 1990s, he participated in organizing a real estate exhibition.

At that time, the organizers started to imagine, placing a sand table in the center of the exhibition, and using a model bridge to connect the models of Macau, Hong Kong, and Zhuhai together, imagining that one day the three places could be connected to each other, and the theme was named "A Colorful Dream" ".

　　"Now this dream has become a reality." Liu Yiliang repeatedly used "dreams come true" to describe his deepest feelings.

　　Liu Yiliang said that as early as 1968, when the Macau Returned Overseas Chinese Association was established, Liang Piyun and a group of other seniors in the overseas Chinese community firmly believed that Macau would one day return to the motherland, hence the name "Returning" Overseas Chinese Association.

In his view, "returning overseas Chinese" and "returning" mean "returning" and "reunion".

　　“Having been home for 25 years, I feel the happiness of being a Macao resident,” said Ho Jinglin, deputy to the National People’s Congress and president of the Macao Federation of Industry and Commerce.

　　Unlike the elders in his family who watched the handover ceremony live, He Jinglin, who was studying abroad at the time, watched the entire process in front of the TV.

He still remembers receiving a call from his family across the ocean that day, and his mother said to him, "Son, when you return home after studying, you return to my arms, just like Macau is now back in the arms of the motherland."

　　His overseas study experience made him deeply realize that returning to the motherland has transformed Macao from “unknown” to “world-wide famous”.

"In the past, when I told people I was from Macau, nine out of ten times I had to explain where Macau was. After the handover, especially now, everyone knows where Macau is and knows that you are Chinese."

　　In 2018, Ho Jinglin brought 34 young Macao entrepreneurs to Guangzhou to start their own businesses, building a comprehensive scientific and technological innovation service platform for young people from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and participating in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

“We hope to use our experience to attract and encourage more young people in Macau to start businesses and find jobs.”

　　In Huang Xianhui's view, the biggest change in Macao since its return is the effective implementation of the constitutional responsibility to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and the continuous improvement of the legal and institutional systems that are compatible with the implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy and the Macao Basic Law.

　　"Before the handover, it was difficult for Chinese to engage in legal professional work in Macao." As one of the first batch of Chinese lawyers in Macao, Huang Xianhui believes that since the handover, young people in Macao have better conditions to study law. At the same time, thanks to the publicity of the law, the rule of law among residents Awareness continues to grow and so does the demand for legal services.

　　Today, Huang Xianhui's children are engaged in legal careers.

Two generations of a family of three people all passed the first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Lawyers Practicing Examination and became Macau lawyers who obtained lawyer practicing certificates (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area).

　　Liu Yiliang’s feelings are the same as those of other Macao representatives: Macao’s economy is developing rapidly, its politics is stable, its society is harmonious, its people’s livelihood and well-being have improved significantly, Macao’s international reputation is increasing day by day, and Macao residents’ sense of national belonging and national identity has been greatly improved...” Qianyan In one word, the return will make Macao better." (End)