The proposal presented by Ho Ion Sang during the“Two Sessions” in Beijing deserves support. The creation of a temporary resident card for foreign and Chinese mainland talents, providing access to healthcare, children’s education, and tax benefits, addresses a real gap in Macau. If the region wants to diversify its economy, it must start by attracting the people capable of doing so.
For years, Macau has grown accustomed to talking about diversification as if reciting a widely accepted but distant goal. The formula repeats itself, plans succeed one another, intentions accumulate… but change remains scarce. And one of the reasons is simple: without talent, there are no new sectors that can endure.
The proposal has the merit of recognizing what is essential. A researcher, an engineer, a specialized doctor, a manager, or an entrepreneur does not choose a destination solely based on salary. They choose it based on living conditions, stability, schools for their children, access to healthcare, tax treatment, and ease of movement. This is how talent is now being competed for on an international scale. And so far, Macau has had a fragile offering for this competition.
Opening the door to talent is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And it should not be seen as a threat to local residents.
Knowing how to attract investment and critical mass is even more important because, in fact, Macau can have a useful role in China’s strategy of opening up to the outside world. The Region likes to present itself as a platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking world, between the country’s interior and international markets; but no platform functions without qualified people to operate it. No bridge fulfills its function if there is no one crossing it in both directions.
Opening the door to talent is not a luxury – it is a necessity. And it should not be seen as a threat to local residents. On the contrary; a more qualified, more international, and more diverse economy creates more opportunities, raises standards, and reduces excessive dependence on a single sector. The risk for Macau does not lie in receiving external talent; it lies in continuing to wait for diversification to happen on its own.
It is clear that a temporary residency card does not solve everything. It does not replace reforms in education, innovation, coordination with Hengqin, or administrative simplification. But it would be a serious start.
If Macau truly wants to help China open up to the outside world, it first needs to show that it can do so itself. Opening the door to talent is one of the most concrete and urgent ways to do this today. Ho Ion Sang understands this well – he just can’t be the only one.
