This is a historic event because, for the first time ever, Macau, China’s special administrative region famous for its growing casino business, has elected a chief executive who was born in mainland China. Sam Hou Fai, a former judge, won the latest election with 394 out of the total 398 votes cast in the election, of which he was the only candidate. This event is quite historic because it signifies a change in the political leadership of the casino hub and could imply changes in the region’s economy and politics.
He emerged the winner in an election that took about one hour thirty-five minutes on Sunday, an exercise that has received mixed reactions. While proponents consider his appointment as a move that will strengthen the holding and become more connected to mainland China, there are critics who feel that this move will see Beijing’s interests dominate that of the business.
Sam was born in 1962 in Guangdong province, so he has very different experience in the position of chief executive. He has a law degree from Peking University in Beijing and has studied Portuguese language, culture, and law at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. Thus, the present candidate also has a blend of mainland Chinese exposure and international exposure. Mainly, practicing law in mainland China, Macanese is expected to fulfill a significant role in mediating the nearly-liaison between Macau and Beijing.
During his acceptance speech, the 62-year-old Sam called his victory the greatest honor of my life and promised to uphold national sovereignty, speed up the economic diversification of the city, and better integrate the city with national development plans. These priorities also share great synergy with Beijing’s development plan for Macau in which the place is also envisioned to transform into a prominent international gambling hub and as a major trading partner of China for the Portuguese speaking nations.
Issues of representation have been furthered by the processes of the election itself in Macau. Local residents cannot elect their chief executive directly and the person is elected by the 400-member committee. This system has been criticized by some people and organizations because of little public involvement in the selection of the region’s leadership.
Perhaps one of the greatest tasks that will fall on the new chief executive is to find ways how to develop Macau’s economy. Today it permanently relies on casinos as the primary source of income and the key driver of the economy of the region. Yet, what is more important, Chinese authorities have been pressuring Macau to diversify its economy, which mission Sam has stated he will accomplish during his administration.
Speculation about Sam’s attitude toward gambling is the result of the fact that being born into a family of fishermen, Sam is the first leader of Macau and has no business experience. Many of his opinions in the past have favored structural transformations away from heavily relying on casinos for economic outcomes, as these sentiments reflect Beijing’s stance. However, in the same context, experts opine that the city will still depend on the gambling industry for welfare programs and other goals set by the central government.
The new chief executive also revealed specific proposals to step up efforts already underway to develop tourism and other industries that include traditional Chinese medicine, finance, exhibition economy and commerce. All these measures are considered as important for the sustainable development of Macau along with the continuation of economical crises, where the COVID-19 pandemic has detrimentally affected the tourism and gambling services.
The appointment of Sam comes at a time when Macau has opened up a lot of links with mainland China. Under the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, Hong Kong does not have the autonomy to impose its own laws and operate its own economy, however Macau does. Though, its role has been increasing in recent years leaning towards enhancing its compatibility with national development plans.
These include; The transfer of power to a mainlander is expected to enhance the relationship between Macau and Beijing in the other sense by enhancing the ability of the latter to implement other national resolutions and polices in Macau seamlessly. It may also involve deeper participation in the Greater Bay Area development plan, which envisions building a city cluster of international standard in the PRD.
Technically known as the Chief Executive, Sam is yet to assume office after receiving a formal endorsement from China’s central government and the global society will be keen to note the extent to which he will be responsive to regional concerns compared to national commands. He will be a key player in defining Macau new economy, Macau’s position in China’s development plans and its role as a connective hub between China and the Lusophone world.
The following decade is going to go a long way in determining the political and economic fate of Macau, especially in as contained in the following way; The issue of diversification of the economy that diligently guards its sovereign power and operations of its economy with special rights and virtual within a foreign territory that is mainland China. It is quite foreseeable that Sam Hou Fai’s term in office as the chief executive of the city and the region will go a long way toward shaping the future of this rather small but highly auspicious area in consequential years.