Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Monday sent a message to the State Council expressing his congratulations on the successful launching and returning of the Shenzhou VI manned spacecraft.

Ho, on behalf of the MSAR government and the people of Macao, extended "the warmest congratulations and highest regards" to the motherland and all the participants in the Shenzhou VI mission including astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, and everyone who had contributed directly or indirectly to the mission.

The mission not only demonstrated the great strength of the motherland, its advanced technology and the excellence of the nation's elites, but also demonstrated the selfless, fearless and the challenging spirit of the Chinese nation, according to Ho.

He said the successes of the country's space missions offered great enlightenment for the people of Macao.

Ho stressed that the excellent qualities demonstrated by the space missions, such as scientific and practical approach, the urge to improve and challenge oneself, the bravery to undertake responsibilities and risks for a great achievement, was the driving force for the success of the policy of "one country, two systems," which gave rise to the developments of the MSAR.

Ho also suggested in his letter to the State Council that he would like to invite to Macao the astronauts and the team who mastered the project, so they could share their experience with the people here.

(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2005)