President Xi Jinping on Saturday urged appropriately diversified and sustainable economic development in Macao at a gathering marking the 15th anniversary of Macao's return to China.

Noting rapid economic and social progress, Xi said, "Certain deep-seated problems formed over the years have surfaced, and development risks have built up to some extent" in the region.

"It is important for Macao to adopt a global, nationwide, future-oriented and long-term perspective, formulate appropriate plans and blueprints for its development and promote sound economic and social development," he said in a speech delivered at the Macao East Asian Games Dome.

The president stressed the necessity to make long-term planning, seize the opportunity of the national efforts to comprehensively deepen reform, and promote appropriately diversified and sustainable economic development in Macao based on its positioning as a global tourism and leisure hub and a service platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

"Macao needs to enhance top-level planning and specify concrete steps and measures for progress," Xi said. "It needs to follow a two-pronged approach, improving its own ability of development while strengthening regional cooperation."

On the one hand, Macao needs to solve difficult problems in its development, strengthen and improve regulation and supervision over the gaming industry and nurture new growth areas for its economy.

On the other hand, it needs to make good use of the policies and measures put forward by the central government to support Macao's development and deepen its cooperation with the mainland, particularly with Guangdong province and the Pan-Pearl River Delta region.

"Macao needs to expand its development space and gain greater impetus for its development through regional cooperation and strive for common development and progress with the mainland," Xi said.

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