President Hu Jintao on Saturday spoke highly of the contributions made by Edmund Ho Hau Wah, the outgoing chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), to the city and the country.

Shortly after arriving in the southern Chinese SAR, Hu met and praised Edmund Ho, saying the chief executive "did much pioneering work in the successful implementation of 'one country, two systems' in Macao."

Hu arrived Saturday noon to attend the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland.

Hu, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, will also attend the inauguration of the third-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region on Sunday.

"You have been the Macao SAR chief executive for ten years. In the past decade, you are devoted to the job, work diligently and in an enterprising way," the president told Edmund Ho.

Hu said the post of Macao SAR chief executive means a great task and bears strong responsibilities.

Under the leadership of Edmund Ho, Macao liberalized its pillar gaming industry. The city's economic output more than tripled in the past ten years.

Hu said he hoped Edmund Ho would continue to pay attention to Macao's development and support the administration of chief executive-elect Fernando Chui Sai On and the incoming third-term SAR government, to make new contributions to the cause of "one country, two systems."

Edmund Ho said it was his honor to work for Macao and the country. "The great motherland is the strong backup force for Macao's prosperity and stability," he said.

The chief executive said he would keep doing his utmost to make due contributions to Macao and the country.

(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2009)