Edmund Ho Hau Wah pledged here Saturday he would do his best to fulfill the new duty as vice chairman of China's top political advisory body and further contribute to the country's development.

Former chief executive of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Ho was elected vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Saturday morning.

"Being elected CPPCC National Committee vice chairman means both a great glory and a grand duty to me," Ho told Xinhua in an exclusive interview shortly after his election ahead of the CPPCC National Committee annual session's conclusion.

"With the leadership of the central government, I will do my utmost on my new post to fulfill the duty for the country's development and make fresh contribution to the great cause of the peaceful reunification of the motherland and the successful implementation of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle in Macao," Ho said.

Ho became chief executive of the Macao SAR in 1999 when China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao, and won the election for a second term that ended December 2009.

Led by Ho's governance, Macao has become one of the fastest growing economies during the past decade.

Ho vowed, after Saturday's election, to play his due role in boosting the liaison between the mainland and Macao SAR.

"Macao people have maintained their patriotic tradition over the years, and I will further unite the patriotic strength as CPPCC National Committee vice chairman," he told Xinhua.

"I believe under the guidance of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle and the experience learned in the past decade, Macao will have much closer and all-round cooperation with the mainland in the future," Ho said.

He promised to support the Macao SAR government on his new post and strive to boost cooperation between Macao, Hong Kong and Guangdong Province.

He said he was "very optimistic" about Macao's development in future, adding: "The principle of the 'One Country, Two Systems' has great vitality. With the solid support from the motherland, I'm very confident that Macao will enjoy a brighter future."

(Xinhua News Agency March 2010)