The first session of the 14^th National People's Congress (“NPC”) and the first session of the 14^th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (“CPPCC”) were successfully held in Beijing earlier this month. SJM Resorts, S.A. (“SJM”) hosted a sharing session on the spirit of the Two Sessions in the Grand Ballroom of Grand Lisboa Macau on 22 March 2023. The sharing session was held under the guidance of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR and was graced by Mr. Yang Yi, the Deputy Director of Economic Affairs Department. SJM also invited Mr. Si Ka Lon, Macau Deputy to the NPC, as guest speaker of the occasion, alongside Macau CPPCC Members including Mr. Ye Zhaojia, Ms. Wong Kit Cheng, and Mr. Lin Lunwei. The four speakers offered SJM staff profound insights into China’s future development plans and demonstrated how Macau can integrate with the country’s overall national development, as they presented key information and shared the spirit of the Two Sessions.

Mr. Timothy Fok, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SJM; Ms. Daisy Ho, Managing Director of SJM; Ms. Angela Leong, Director of SJM; Dr. Ambrose So, Director of SJM and more than 350 team members attended the sharing session. A recorded version of the sharing session was edited and shown on the same day in the back-of-house areas of SJM properties, including Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, Grand Lisboa Macau, Oceanus at Jai Alai and Ponte 16 Resort, Macau. The purpose is to encourage and enable more SJM employees to learn about the spirit of the Two Sessions.

Ms. Daisy Ho, Managing Director of SJM, remarked, “The Two Sessions comprehensively demonstrated the Central Government’s emphasis and care for Macau. In a keynote which reflected his compassionate leadership, President Xi highlighted Macau’s role in building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation, which will serve as both a powerful engine and safe harbour for Macau’s future development. United under the spirit of “Love the Motherland, Love Macau”, SJM is fully committed to supporting the SAR government in safeguarding national security and implementing “Patriots administering Macau”. We will continue to organize events to promote patriotism and elevate our employees’ sense of national identity. Moreover, we will uphold our responsibilities as a private enterprise, to advance high-quality and innovation developments, adhere to people-centered philosophy, and faithfully support “One Country, Two Systems”. We will stand at the forefront of propelling Macau’s integration with the country’s overall development and enjoy a new era of great advancements with the entire nation.”

Ms. Angela Leong chaired the sharing session, during which four guest speakers conveyed the spirit of the Two Sessions, each focusing on different themes. These included the presentation of the annual “Government Work Report”; introduction of various tasks for the year; discussions about how Macau can best leverage its unique advantages and positioning under the “One Country, Two Systems” policy; and how to resolutely maintain its momentum in solidifying “one center, one platform and one base” as Macau integrates into the overall development of the nation. As Macau diversifies its economy, it also seeks to build a community that upholds the ideologies of socialism to contribute to the economic rejuvenation of China.

Citing the main spirit of the Two Sessions, Mr. Si Ka Lon, Macau Deputy to the NPC, said that this is the inaugural year for implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. He introduced the “Government Work Report” of the Two Sessions; new developments in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan; the effective implementation of comprehensive governance of the SAR in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law; the creation and implementation of the National Security law in Hong Kong; and the principles of “patriots administering Hong Kong” and “patriots administering Macao”. He also highlighted the importance of promoting the construction of the Greater Bay Area; supporting Hong Kong and Macau as they develop their economies; improving people's livelihoods, managing the pandemic, and maintaining stability.

Mr. Ye Zhaojia, Macau CPPCC Member, highlighted the requirements and goals for China’s economic and social development as outlined in this year’s “Government Work Report”. He introduced five key economic areas of focus – stabilizing growth; optimizing policies; expanding domestic demand; consolidating industries and reducing risks. The report took comprehensive consideration of economic growth and established prudent targets, established policies to improve the business environment; and emphasized driving domestic demand to help boost economic recovery. At the same time, it proposed improving financial supervision to enable orderly reform in the financial system and laying a solid foundation for building of a modern, socialist country on all fronts.

Ms. Wong Kit Cheng, Macau CPPCC Member, stated that China has achieved concrete results under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Chairman Xi Jinping at its core. After participating in the Two Sessions, she emphasized that the Central Government values the development of Macau and cares deeply about its people. Ms. Wong encouraged everyone to take advantage of the nation’s progress, leverage Central Government’s beneficial policies for Macau; and unite in patriotism to forge ahead together.

Mr. Lin Lunwei, Macau CPPCC Member, explained the roles and duties of CPPCC, and expressed his hope that Macau could take advantage of beneficial policies from the Central Government to promote the building of Greater Bay Area. He also emphasized the importance of performing political responsibilities and basic duties for the Party and the State, creating harmonious labour relations, and facilitating the cause of national reunification.

SJM is the first concessionaire to introduce national education into its corporate initiatives and this sharing session is an integral part of its National Education Series. SJM has remained steadfast in supporting patriotic events organized by the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government and the Macau SAR government, and consistently organizes parent-children workshops and exchange sessions that perpetuate the “Love the Motherland, Love Macau” tradition. These include the “Tell China Stories Series”, showcase of patriotic films, and a myriad of other nationalism classes.

During this sharing session, SJM team members gained a deep understanding of the spirit of the Two Sessions. SJM is committed to continue promoting this spirit to employees, ensuring that the messages are fully understood and put into action. Additionally, SJM will also continue spreading the story of Macau’s successful implementation of “One Country, Two Systems”.