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 never to be complacent and show "courage" to change and innovate.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will preside over a day of celebrations in Macau and inaugurate the city's new leader on Friday to mark 25 years since the former colony was returned to China.Friday's festivities will be centred around the inauguration of Sam Hou-fai,

Xi Jinping has called for Macau to prioritise economic diversification as its “first” hope as he wrapped up a three-day tour of the Chinese gambling hub to mark the 25th anniversary of its handover from Portugal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the casino hub of Macao to diversify its economy as he swore in the former Portuguese colony’s new government on Friday at an event marking the 25th anniversary of its handover to China.

China’s President Xi Jinping will be in Macau from December 18 to 20 to take part in the celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR). The visit was confirmed on Saturday by the official Xinhua news agency and Macau’s Government Information Bureau.

Chinese leader calls for city to help China further open up, prompting business group to push for new public body dedicated to the task.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday inaugurated a new Macau leader and called for the gambling hub to diversify its economy as the former colony marked 25 years since being returned to China. The Chinese president on Friday emphasised the need for a diversified economy as he laid out "four hopes" for Sam's administration.