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Macau’s lone candidate for city leader Ho Iat-seng doubles down on ‘one county, two systems’ principle and vows to boost patriotism

  • Business veteran vows to boost patriotism among the city’s young people, serving as an example for Taiwan
  • Macau’s economy has been hurt by Hong Kong protests – and Ho warns of more challenges ahead

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Ho Iat-seng in Macau in February 2015. Ho is the only candidate for the city’s chief executive in August 15 elections. Photo: Dickson Lee

Ho Iat-seng, the sole candidate to be the next chief executive of Macau, promised on Saturday to turn the former Portuguese colony into the poster child of the “one country, two systems” principle and set an example for Taiwan.

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He said one of the keys to achieving those goals was to bolster patriotism among local youth.

Ho’s remarks came as Hong Kong – the bigger of China’s two special administration regions allowed to maintain governance systems established by European colonisers – has suffered its worst social unrest in decades. Macau is set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its return to China in December.

Ho said Hong Kong was going through a “deviation” from one country, two systems, but declined to offer any advice to the city’s embattled leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

He said the political turmoil in Hong Kong would hit Macau’s economy – which heavily relies on gambling – and warned that the second half of 2019 could be even more difficult.

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In Hong Kong, youth discontent has grown and thousands have taken to the streets in another weekend of anti-government protests.

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