MACAO, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has taken great advantage of the "one country, two systems" and made impressive achievements in its external relations by expanding its international influence in the past 20 years, Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Macao SAR Shen Beili told Xinhua recently in an exclusive interview.

Centering around Macao's economic diversification efforts, the commissioner's office has actively implemented foreign policies designed to benefit Macao, helping strengthen Macao residents' national pride and confidence, the commissioner said.The great advantages Macao has enjoyed in its external relations are rooted in "one country," Shen said, adding that the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and other national strategies have provided important opportunities for Macao to deepen its international cooperation.

The central government has clearly defined the direction and path of Macao's external relations by setting the goals of establishing a world tourism and leisure center, an economic and trade cooperation platform for China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and an exchange and cooperation base with Chinese culture as its mainstream and co-existence of different cultures, the commissioner said.