TOKYO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Japan held a reception here on Monday evening to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.

Delivering an opening speech at the reception which was attended by about 150 people, Chinese Ambassador Kong Xuanyou said over the past 20 years, with the strong support of the central government and the mainland, the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has understood and implemented the principle of "one country, two systems" in a comprehensive and accurate way, making great progress in various undertakings.

He noted that currently Macao has become one of the regions with the fastest economic growth and the highest per capita GDP in the world.

The past two decades have seen the successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" in Macao and smooth implementation of the the Basic Law of the Macao SAR, Kong said. Today, Macao enjoys political stability, economic prosperity, social stability and order, and the well-being of Macao residents continues to improve, which fully demonstrate the scientific nature and great vitality of the "one country, two systems", he added.

The ambassador pointed out that Japan is an important trade and investment partner of Macao. Maintaining prosperity and stability in Macao is in the common interests of all countries, including Japan.

He called on people from all walks of life in Japan to have a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the "one country, two systems" principle, pay more attention to Macao's development, be more committed to the exchanges and cooperation between the two sides so as to make new contributions to promoting China-Japan friendship and boosting the development of bilateral relations.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Chief Secretary of Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association, said in a speech that he attended the symposium for China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in Tokyo this spring, feeling deeply that the cooperation among the three places of China would achieve great economic development.

He added that he visited Macao for the first time this August and witnessed the rapid development there in various fields. He wished Macao greater development and hoped that Japan will strengthen exchanges with Macao and push forward the cause of Japan-China friendship.

The Chinese Embassy also held a photo exhibition to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, with 65 pictures showing the unique charm of Macao under the "one country, two systems" principle, attracting a large number of viewers.