The so-called “Two Sessions” – the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – take place in Beijing at a time when the country’s main political and economic guidelines are set.
Before the meeting, the Chief Executive met with local deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), leaving a set of appeals regarding the roles they should play.
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For Lou Shenghua, Sam Hou Fai’s request for legislators to listen more to the public while also defending the predominance of the Executive Power is clear: “Government policies are based on public opinion and representatives serve as a bridge between the Government and residents,” he states to PLATAFORMA.
Sam Hou Fai appealed to the Macau deputies to the National People’s Congress to expand channels of communication with society, strengthen unity, and convey the aspirations of the population to national authorities.
[NPC Macau lawmakers ] should not be seen as independent political actors, but rather as a bridge between the Government and society – Lou Shenghua
At a dinner hosted for the deputies, the Chief Executive emphasized the need to align the major guidelines of the central government with local realities, promoting consensus and defending national security and social stability.
Lou Shenghua understands that deputies “should not be seen as independent political actors, but as a bridge between the Government and society,” adding that the exercise of their functions follows the principle of “collective democracy.”
In his speech, the Chief Executive also asked representatives to firmly defend the institutional arrangement of executive predominance in the Macao Special Administrative Region, support the appropriate diversification of the economy, the reform of the Public Administration, and the integrated development with Hengqin. He stressed that when it comes to matters of principle, a clear and unequivocal position must be maintained.
When asked about the practical meaning of “prioritizing the Executive,” Lou Shenghua interprets the appeal as a reinforcement of the current governance model.
In this context, it refers to “defending the current system of executive predominance in the Macao Special Administrative Region,” aligning “the main policies of the Central Government with the specific reality of Macau,” safeguarding “national security and social stability together,” and promoting high-quality development of the “One Country, Two Systems” cause.
Sam Hou Fai also stated that the Government is intensively preparing the third five-year plan for the MAC and coordinating it with the national 15th Five-Year Plan, hoping that the deputies will present constructive proposals during the Two Sessions.
For Lou Shenghua, responding to the needs of residents “has always been a central priority” of local governance, framing the discourse within a logic of continuity at a crucial moment for aligning Macau with national strategies.
