MACAU >> China’s President Xi Jinping said Macau should “keep up with the trend of the times” and play a bigger role on the international stage, as he urged the world’s biggest gambling hub to never be complacent and show “courage” to change and innovate.

Xi’s comments were made just ahead of the inauguration on Friday of Macau’s new government, helmed by former judge Sam Hou Fai, the first city leader to be born and raised in mainland China.

Xi called for Macau to “scientifically” plan its future development and “more actively connect with national development strategies” including the country’s Greater Bay Area, which includes the neighboring financial hubs of Hong Kong and Guangdong province, according to comments posted by the Xinhua official news agency on Friday.

He had been speaking at a gala dinner on Thursday at the Macau Dome, located alongside the city’s Las Vegas-style Cotai strip.

Xi also called for Macau to be more open and inclusive to “recruit talents from all over the world” and “show greater achievements on the international stage.”

Xi arrived in the former Portuguese enclave on Wednesday for a three-day visit to mark a quarter century of Beijing’s rule. He has been visiting different areas of the city including its universities and special economic zones.

The trip to Macau is Xi’s third as president. He last visited in 2019 when anti-government protests were rocking the former British colony of Hong Kong.

Beijing has consistently praised Macau for its loyalty and stability, with more than half of its 700,000 population immigrating from China in recent decades.

A special administrative region of China, Macau is the only place in the country where gambling is legal, and its economy is heavily dependent on the casino industry, which contributes about 80% of regional tax revenue.

Located on China’s southern coast, Macau returned to Chinese rule on Dec. 20, 1999, governed under the same “one country, two systems” formula as nearby Hong Kong.

Xi urged Macau not to be complacent and “be brave to change and innovate” and make better use of “the one country, two systems” framework.

Sam, who was born in China’s southern Guangdong province and speaks fluent Portuguese, has said he will demand “immediate action” on diversification away from the casino industry.

Sam, 62, has been head of Macau’s highest court since 1999. He was the only candidate given permission by a panel of 400 pro-China loyalists to run in Macau’s election.

Since Xi took office in 2013, he has called for the “appropriate diversification and sustainable development” of Macau’s economy. The moves, and a sweeping anti-corruption drive, have throttled gambling revenues from the high roller VIP sector.