Beijing has 'major role' behind Macao's rise on international stage

MACAO: Beijing has played a major role in the dramatic rise of Macao's international status since the region's return to China a decade ago, said Lu Shumin, Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).

"Macao's fate has always been interlinked with that of its motherland," Lu said.

Macao had "remained basically unknown under the colonial rule of the Portuguese", he said, adding that it was only after its return to China that the SAR gained international popularity, especially for its successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy.