Signed article on the 20th Anniversary of Macau's Return to China by H.E. Dr. Xiao Jianguo, Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, published on Timor Post

　　2019年12月12日，驻东帝汶大使肖建国在东当地发行量最大的报纸《帝汶邮报》发表题为《澳门回归二十年，“一国两制”彰成效》的英文署名文章，介绍“一国两制”在澳门的成功实践，并就香港问题、澳东合作等阐明立场。全文译文如下：

On 12th December 2019, Timor Post carried an article on the 20th Anniversary of Macau's return to China by Ambassador Dr. Xiao Jianguo entitled "20 Years of Macau's Return, A Successful Story of 'One country, Two systems'". The full text is as follows:

　　1999年12月20日，中国政府对澳门恢复行使主权，这是中华民族继香港回归后，祖国统一大业进程中又一历史丰碑。澳门作为中国的领土，是大航海时代西方列强在华贸易的最早立足点，曾是中西文明相碰撞、相交融的前沿，在历经400多年沧桑后终于回到祖国怀抱，走上了同祖国内地优势互补、共同发展的宽广道路，开辟了澳门发展新纪元。

On 20th December, 1999, the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macau, which marks another historic milestone in the cause of the national reunification after the return of Hong Kong. Macau, as part of the Chinese territory, was the earliest foothold for western powers to trade with China in the Age of Great Voyages of Exploration, as well as the forefront of the collision and fusion of Chinese and western civilizations. After more than 400 years of vicissitudes, Macau returned to the embrace of the mainland of China and embarked on a promising path of common development with the mainland, marking a new chapter in Macau's history.

　　20年来，在中央政府和祖国内地的关心支持下，澳门特别行政区政府全面准确贯彻“一国两制”方针，团结带领社会各界，齐心协力、团结奋斗，推动各项事业发展取得巨大成就。澳门社会和谐稳定，民众安居乐业，经济持续增长，财政收入充盈，民生福利明显改善，对外交往特别是同葡语国家联系不断扩大和活跃。澳门地区生产总值人均由1999年的12万澳门元跃升至2018年的67万澳门元，位列世界前茅。在“澳人治澳”、高度自治的方针下，广大澳门同胞依法享受着前所未有的广泛权利和自由，作为祖国大家庭的成员，拥有参与管理国家事务的民主权利，作为澳门的主人翁，承担着管理好、建设好澳门的历史责任。

Over the past 20 years, with the strong support of the Central Government and the mainland, the government of the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) has fully and accurately implemented the policy of "One country, Two systems", rallied all sectors of society and made great achievements in various undertakings. Macau's society is harmonious and stable, the people live and work in peace and contentment, the economy continues to grow, the fiscal revenue is abundant, and the people's livelihood and welfare are significantly improved. Macau's external exchanges, especially with Portuguese-speaking countries, have been continuously expanded. Macau's per capita GDP has jumped from 120,000 patacas in 1999 to 670,000 patacas in 2018, ranking top in the world. Under the principles of "Macau people administering Macau" and a high degree of autonomy, Macau people have enjoyed unprecedented rights and freedoms in accordance with the law. As a member of the motherland's family, Macau people enjoy the democratic right to participate in the management of national affairs. As the master of Macau, Macau people bear the historical responsibility of administering Macau with a high degree of autonomy.

　　澳门向世界充分展示了具有自身特色的“一国两制”成功实践，表明“一国两制”不仅是解决历史遗留的香港、澳门问题的最佳方案，也是香港、澳门回归后保持长期繁荣稳定的最佳制度。回顾澳门20年的发展成就，关键是全面准确理解和贯彻落实“一国两制”方针，其中有三个决定性因素：

Macau has fully demonstrated the successful practice of "One country, Two systems" with its own characteristics to the world, which shows that "One country, Two systems" is not only the best solution to the historical problems of Hong Kong and Macau, but also the best system for maintaining long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macau after their return. Reviewing Macau's achievements over the past 20 years, the key is to fully and accurately understand and implement the policy of "One country, Two systems", with three decisive factors as follows: