MACAO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), pledged to build a more harmonious society with "solid belief and practical attitude" here on Wednesday.

    Ho made the remarks while addressing the cocktail reception marking the seventh anniversary of the establishment of the MSAR.

    The chief executive said Macao has been experiencing a historic period of progress since it returned to the motherland in 1999 and witnessing its gradual integration into the regional and international communities.

    The MSAR owes much of its success to the capability to maintain harmony amid the rapid social changes, with the full support of the central government.

    "In a harmonious environment, we should mitigate conflicts to promote the self-improvement," said the official.

    He said his government will continue to improve public services to meet society's needs in the coming years.

    Officials of the MSAR government and the Macao-based offices of the central government as well as hundreds of people from all walks of the social life attended the cocktail reception.